Let’s just forget about The French Connection and reevaluate Dirty Harry instead. What we have here isn’t just a film that broke boundaries in how much of the crime world media was allowed to show, but a blueprint for a taut, tough, crime-thriller for any generation. Instead of dealing with faceless drug deals we get a more twisted, memorable villain, and through several electric performances we get a narrative that’s surprisingly diverse. Martyrs are necessary for justice at times but also can’t be tolerated.