By Clarence Yu
CLINT Eastwood proves that he is at the top of his game with his latest effort,
Gran Torino.
Revolving around the story of Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired Ford em
ployee and decorated Korean War vet, the movie explores themes of loss, coming
to terms, friendship, and ultimately, sacrifice and redemption.
Here's a trailer of the movie:
Set in the present day, the film begins with Walt burying his wife of many year
s. His grown-up children have strained relations with him, and he sets to livin
g out the rest of his years wandering about in his home, tinkering around in hi
s garden, sitting on his porch drinking beer and taking care of his prized poss
ession, a 1972 Ford Gran Torino. He refuses to fulfill his wifeâs dying wish, t
o confess to a "27-year-old, over-educated, virgin priest."
He is bitter about many things, mainly about how the world has changed from his
viewpoint, and how his neighborhood has slowly been encroached upon by a group
of Asians known as âHmongs.â He has a fast and dirty mouth, and isnât the type
of guy who would waste a second of his remaining days on anything sentimental.
The gangs that roam his neighborhood force Kowalski out of his self-
imposed exile. In a twist of fate, the only piece of property that is valuable
to him (his Gran Torino) sets the stage for a series of events that chip away a
t Waltâs hard exterior, ultimately leading up to the most climactic ending that
Iâve seen in recent years.
Based on a story written by first-timer Nick Schenk, Eastwood makes the film wo
rk mainly on the basis of his screen image. He summons shades of every major ch
aracter he has played: the tough Man with No Name in A Fistful of Dollars; the
jaded, disgruntled cop in Dirty Harry; the widowed avenger in The Outlaw Josey
Wales; the terminally ill singer-drifter in Honkytonk Man; the avenging preache
r in Pale Rider; the foul-mouthed drill sergeant Thomas Highway in Heartbreak R
idge; and the retired assassin Will Munny called back into action one more time
in Unforgiven.
The only significant difference in Gran Torino is that the gun that he has held
in his hand for so many years has been replaced by, among other things, a fing
er and a lighter, which plays a major role in the heart-wrenching climax.
Those who are not familiar with Eastwoodâs previous work may find this movie bl
and and politically incorrect, as Walt Kowalski growls and grunts throughout th
e film, calling out every available racial epithet one can think of. I would th
en suggest going back and checking out his previous films to get in context wit
h Torino. It is all at the same time dramatic, dark, suspenseful, and surprisin
gly humorous. But without over-analyzing, the film is simply about one manâs in
itial refusal to accept change; as he slowly yields, he finds his own redemptio
n.
There are moments in the film that are quite comical, mostly involving Kowalski
âs âmentoringâ the young Thao (played by Bee Vang), but it is always balanced o
ut mainly by the presence of the other essential characters: the young pragmati
c priest (Christopher Carley) who continually hounds Kowalski to confess his si
ns, and Thaoâs older sister Sue (Ahney Her), who introduces Walt to the Hmongs
and eventually serves as Waltâs trigger to play out his final act.
Much has been said about Gran Torino being Eastwoodâs last acting role. Having
watched the film, I wish it isnât.
At 78, he anchors the film with his larger than life presence, displaying blata
nt machismo, shades of classic humor, and quiet sensitivity, in a role that dem
ands Academy Award recognition. He plays it as he sees it, both as actor and di
rector; you will not find over-the-top, method acting here.
Essentially, it is Eastwood playing Eastwood directed by Eastwood, and, all thi
ngs considered, it is probably one the finest acting jobs he has done thus far.
Compared to todayâs fast-paced, effects-ridden contemporary films, this movie
comes out of nowhere to remind of you of lifeâs basic mores and values by none
other than the anti-hero himself. It is also difficult to find a role befitting
a man of his age and stature, so much can be said about Eastwood's nose for th
e good story by Schenk.
Words like âmasterpieceâ or phrases like âtour de forceâ seem clichéd and misl
eading, so it is hard to summon up a definitive word to describe the themes and
feelings that Gran Torino evokes. But there is a piece of dialogue in the movi
e that mentions the word âbittersweet.â It goes something like this: âItâs bitt
er because of the pain, but sweet because youâre at peace.â Rest in peace, Clin
t. But only for a while, because knowing the way you work, you wonât stop.
Review: Gran Torino Rides like a Charm
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I think this is a must see movie. It cannot help but perturb, challenge and ann
oy any or all belief systems one has. It is moving. Disturbing. And very import
ant.
Some surfaces need deeper scratching to find the human within.
He really made my day!
After reading your review, I'd like to point something out to you that seems ap
parent to me that you are unaware of. You write "his neighborhood has slowly b
een encroached upon by a group of Asians known as âHmongs". This group of Asia
ns, as you refer to them, are an ndigenous tribal culture who most recently res
ided in the mountains of Laos. The fiercely independent and socially strong Hm
ong people have existed since the time of ancient Chinese dynasties. To descri
be them as a "group of Asians" suggests that they are some renegade assembly of
people of Asian background, or worse, as a gang sub-culture. In all of my rea
dings and research about this extraordinary culture, I've never once seen these
people referred to as the "Hmongs". They are Hmong, not Hmongs. It was very
disappointing and verging on insulting, to have read your reference to the Hmon
g. With a surname like Yu, I am going to presume you are of Asian heritage you
rself. You ought to be a bit more competent and proud of a fellow Asian cultur
e so as not to come across as misinformed or ignorant.
Well written, Clarence. Yes to ALL OF THE ABOVE and it is set in Detroit! And I
laughed out loud so many times during this movie! Both touching and heart-wre
nching. Loved it. I absolutely loved it. It is definitely Oscar-worthy!
watch this movie
@Fabio:
No insult was intended. I am of Asian Heritage (this is a Filipino newspaper)
and am very sensitive to slights. Because the article was a movie review on Gr
an Torino and not on the Hmong, I do not feel a need to be ashamed for somethin
g I did not intend to do. In fact, if you watch the movie and you are an Asian
, if you don't take everything with a grain of salt you will end up hating Gran
Torino for all the racist comments the Eastwood character makes. But its a mo
vie. Have fun watching it!
More @fabio:
After giving your comments more reflection, it seems to me that you are taking
my article out of context. The quotation marks and the letter "s" seem to offen
d you.
I admit that I am not, now or in the past, familiar with the Hmong. I only wor
k with what the movie gave me in terms of material and references. It pains me
to think that someone like you, who obviously has studied many foreign culture
s, would find offense in my article, which again, was about a movie, and not ab
out any particular ethnic group. I do not suggest or imply anything about the
Hmong as being a gang or anything derivative.
I suggest that you re-read my article again for the full intent, which is about
the movie.
s-like-a-charm/#comment
I loved this movie. It was Clint Eastwood from top to bottom. This will be an E
astwood keeper when it's out on DVD. Tough, tender and exciting. See it.
Happy New Year
I'm 45, and I remember my parents taking me to the drive in to see 'good, bad a
nd ugly' in their Beetle, I remember thinking Unforgiven was his swansong, so p
owerful was this, that my 16 year old Son was in shock, and I wept, I never wep
t at a Clint Eastwood movie, and we left confused and unnerved. But, after thou
ght, POWERFUL. The dude rules at movies. Check Spike Lee at 78, I don't think s
o.....
Fabio,
I was dissapointed with one element, and I'm an old white dude. They obviously
went politically correct by not making the gangbangers black or "beaner", becau
se Asians don't complain loud enough, but there are vietnamese Asian gangbanger
s but not to the extent of black and latino.
Ah!!! at last I found what I was looking for. Somtimes it takes so much effort
to find even tiny useful piece of information.
Nice post. Thanks
Great Site, Yeah. Hope you can improve it again!
Interesting article. Were did you got all the information from... :)
Thanks a bunch. We spent hours only to look up this topic!
Clint East wood is my favorite action hero and I still imagine him in the Louis L' Amour novels. He has proved that he is still into action by directing a new action movie in which his direction was superb as ever. It is impressive that in Gran Torrino he "summons shades of every major character he has played." Whatever movie critic says about the movie I still love it.
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In a twist of fate, the only piece of property that is valuable to him (his Gran Torino) sets the stage for a series of events that chip away a t Waltâs hard exterior, ultimately leading up to the most climactic ending that Iâve seen in recent years. Based on a story written by first-timer Nick Schenk, Eastwood makes the film wo rk mainly on the basis of his screen image
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Compared to todayâs fast-paced, effects-ridden contemporary films, this movie comes out of nowhere to remind of you of lifeâs basic mores and values by none other than the anti-hero himself.
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I saw the film and it was unbelievable. Clint Eastwood will have you laughing so hard you almost pee yourself while at the same time breaking your heart and making you want to cry. The movie takes you on a roller-coaster ride and the entire theater stood up in applause afterward. I highly recommend this film and if Eastwood doesn't get nominated for an Oscar something is truly wrong!!!
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