The old cop-robber-killer themed films provide loads of action and most of them are entertaining to the core.
They are the best antidote after a hard day in the office as they keep you engrossed and help you to switch off.
Here are five films which are worth your while :
Dirty Harry (1971)
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, John Vernon
Director: Don Siegel
This American crime thriller set a high standard in police stories. It was followed by four sequels featuring Inspector “Dirty Harry” Callahan of the San Francisco Police Department.
Callahan is a no-nonsense cop who is tracking down a killer called Scorpio whose victims are young girls. He kidnaps a girl and asks for a ransom and Callahan is assigned to deliver it. However, in the ensuing shootout, Callahan’s partner is injured.
Scorpio later kidnaps a busload of children and this time Callahan and his trusted .44 Magnum gun gets a chance to corner the elusive Scorpio. Eastwood is magnificent as Callahan and shows his prowess far beyond Spaghetti Westerns.
Serpico (1973)
Cast: Al Pacino, John Randolph
Director: Sidney Lumet
An undercover cop discovers corruption in high places in the very force he works with. This leads to his colleagues turning against him.
His revelations trigger infighting within the police and his single-handed pursuit for justice badly dents his personal life. He is relentless in his pursuit but finally gets shot in the face.
Pacino is excellent as the honest cop and his bearded look was admired by many of his fans.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Cast: Rod Steiger, Sidney Poiter, Martin Landau
Director: Norman Jewison
A black cop, Virgil Tibbs, lands in Mississippi to investigate the murder of a wealthy industrialist but faces opposition from the police chief and others because of racial prejudice.
The police chief arrests Tibbs for the murder and is then embarrassed as his real identity is revealed. The police chief reluctantly agrees to take help from Tubbs to solve the mystery.
The film had two sequels. Poiter is excellent while Steiger won the Best Actor Oscar for the role.
Witness (1985)
Cast: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen
Director: Peter Weir
An Amish boy witnesses a murder in the men’s room at a railway station, hiding in one of the stalls while the crime was committed. He fails to identify the man during a line-up but see a clipping where one of the perpetrators’ picture, a corrupt cop, is there and recognises him.
The detective in charge of the case seeks to hide the boy and his sisterwho is accompanying him, before the corrupt cop finds him and badly injures him.
The police chief is also involved but the detective recovers and finally tries to exposes the nexus. The film won two Academy Awards.
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Cast: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommers, George Sanders, Herbert Lom
Director: Blake Edwards
The excellent Peter Sellers brings out Inspector Jacques Clouseau’s mannerisms in this second instalment of the series where he is joined first time by his regulars Commissioner Dreyfus and valet Cato.
Clouseau is called to a castle where the owner’s chauffeur has been killed. The driver’s lover is suspected as the killer but Clouseau has a soft corner for her and doesn’t accept the fact.
This enrages the commissioner who turns neurotic due to the inspector’s antics. More murders happen before the real killer is nailed.
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