Original artwork, not a still
You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?
— Dirty Harry • 1971
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Harry turns a gunpoint arrest into a dare, and it makes him the unflappable cop who does not care for rules. The speech is half threat and half joke, since he has probably run out of bullets. Fans quote it whenever someone is tempted to gamble, and Clint Eastwood's squint and the huge .44 Magnum became so much a part of the movie that the speech is now a joke for anyone who points a finger gun.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Dirty HarryShow the scene
Dirty Harry opens in San Francisco, with a sniper known as Scorpio terrorising the city. During his lunch break, Inspector Harry Callahan foils a bank robbery, shooting one robber and the getaway driver dead, and holding a third at gunpoint with his .44 Magnum. Harry asks whether the man thinks he fired six shots or only five, and pushes him to guess his luck. The robber, though he has surrendered, insists on knowing, and Harry pulls the trigger, revealing the gun is empty. The film's closing showdown with Scorpio ends with a version of the speech.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Dirty HarryPlot; Reception (AFI)Reference checked
- Wikiquote: Dirty HarryBank robbery scene and finale dialogueReference checked
Context reviewed
