Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971)

Probably not much to be said about this one that hasn't been said already, but I've managed somehow not to see it before now. Despite the transparent odiousness of the film's politics (why oh why are our hands tied by sentimental requirements not to torture prisoners) I found much of the film unpleasantness in a rather effective way - the violence is often visceral rather than satisfyingly cathartic, and the treatment of the girl buried alive and the children on the schoolbus is appropriately distressing; we don't enjoy the prospect of salvage by the good guy, we just wish these things weren't happening.