GRAN TORINO
US, 2008, 116 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, John Carroll Lynch, Scott Eastwood.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.
At age 78, Clint Eastwood had two films in the US National Board of Review's top ten of 2008, The Changeling and Gran Torino. Gran Torino was far more popular at the American Box Office, over $100,000,000 in tickets, which says a great deal about Eastwood's reputation as an actor – or screen presence - even more than as a director.
Gran Torino is an impressive film on many counts.
Nicholas Schenk's screenplay opens up many questions for contemporary American society, especially xenophobia (this time for the Hmong people from China/Laos/Vietnam who, despite fighting alongside the US troops in Vietnam, were not always welcomed when they had to migrate to the US). With an old Detroit neighbourhood setting where Eastwood's Walt Kowalski seems like a relic of different and distant times, the film also takes up themes of gangs and urban violence as well as economic questions like the closing down of car manufacturing plants (while one of Walt's sons working for a car-maker outside the US). And it takes up the question of ageing, especially after the death of a spouse and the loss of emotional contact with children and grandchildren – but how could one love a flimsily dressed teenager who texts during the requiem mass for her grandmother!
The film is framed by funerals and sermons on life and death ('bitter because of grief, sweet because of salvation' according to the young priest). And there are several discussions about the meaning of life and the effect of death between Walt and the persistent priest (because Walt's late wife wanted her husband to go to confession) with Walt telling the priest that he is 'an over-educated, 27 year old virgin who holds old ladies' hands, promising them eternity!', something the priest quotes in his final sermon. Interesting that Clint Eastwood would have a priest and Catholic themes (in a positive rather than critical light) in this film as well as the priest that he goes to Mass to each day and asks for advice in Million Dollar Baby.
You may never have heard an actor or a character growl so much in a film and Eastwood has the perfect grimace and sound for constant growl. You know he is going to get to know his Hmong next door neighbours, but we wonder how and with what consequences. Perhaps it is best simply to say that prejudice is overcome by contact and bigotry by sharing in the lives of those who are initially detested or condemned. Clint's friendship with the young girl next door helps him to understand and socialise. Her quiet, polite teenage brother, provoked by his cousin and a local Hmong group into trying to steal Walt's Gran Torino, learns many a lesson from Walt: hard work, responsibility, how to talk to a girl and, in comic manner, how to do provocative banter and 'man-talk'.
Someone is probably writing a thesis (or has written one) on the dramatic arc of the characters Eastwood has played from The Man with no Name but a gun to this man with a name but sometimes a gun and sometimes not. Dirty Harry (whom everyone quotes when an Eastwood character goes into action) has not lost his anger at injustice but has found other means, which will surprise the audience, to deal with that injustice.
Eastwood knows how to make interesting and entertaining films with excellent craft, never drawing attention to himself, but with something worthwhile to say and be listened to.
1.Listed as one of the best films of 2008? Clint Eastwood’s films, over forty years, as director, actor, character? His themes, especially of justice and violence?
2.The film and race issues, the 21st century, American xenophobia, the conservative attitudes, change?
3.The Michigan setting, Detroit, the suburbs, homes and streets, the change in the neighbourhoods, race ghettos, the gangs, African Americans, Asian? The verbal abuse and insults to the Asians?
4.The photography, the editing, the classic style? The musical score, the final song and the lyrics of ‘Grand Torino’?
5.The title: Michigan and car manufacturing, Detroit, the history of car manufacture, the car in American culture, the changes in the economy? The Grand Torino from the 70s? The later layoffs, the making of foreign cars? Quality cars? The Grand Torino as a symbol, envy, thieving, a final gift?
6.The funeral’s framing the film: the discussions about life and death, the Catholic church and its rituals, Walter standing at the altar, Dorothy’s coffin, his surveying the people attending, his growls, the discussions of his sons and their wives, the family, the granddaughter and her clothes, texting during the ceremony? The priest, his sermon, the bitterness of death, grief? The sweetness of death and salvation? How true did this ring? The right thing to say? Walt’s reaction?
7.The aftermath, the guests, getting the chairs, the granddaughter offering to help, her grandfather’s growling? The garage, the boys and going through the trunk, seeing the photos, the medals, the Korean War, giving information about Walt? The family leaving? The priest, his age, talking with Walt, calling him by name? Walt’s reaction? The issue of confession? His wife wanting it? Walt describing the priest as an over-educated twenty-seven-year-old virgin holding the hands of old ladies and promising them eternity? The priest later repeating this in Walt’s ceremony?
8.Clint Eastwood as Walt, his age, his life, tough, the experience of Korea, his stories, the killings, the medals? Meeting his wife, the love of his life? His not relating well with his sons? With his grandchildren? Wanting to be alone, sitting on the porch, drinking the beer? His workshop and the tools? Thao wanting to borrow the leads, his refusal, later using them? His lawn, mowing it? Watching the family next door, all arriving for the celebration, the hostile looks from the old lady?
9.The background of gangs, Thao’s cousin, the Asian gang, their taunts? The family pressure on Thao, his having to steal the Grand Torino, his being caught?
10.The Hmongs, from Laos, China and Vietnam? On the American side during the Vietnam War, their migration? Not always accepted by Americans? The family, the extended family, the talk, the meal, Thao and their criticising him, being bossed by Sue, his study, reading? The shaman and the ceremony?
11.The gang in action, threatening, the guns, the taunts to the family, Walt and his ordering them off his lawn, threatening, the gun, his finger as a gun? The heroism of warding off the gangs, the gratitude of the neighbourhood, the continued gifts of food, flowers? Walt’s xenophobic reaction? His meeting Sue, rescuing her from the gang, confronting them, telling the white man to go off and not be calling people ‘Bro’? His talk with Sue, the explanation of Thao, the Hmongs and their language, customs, the invitation? His birthday and the phone call to his family?
12.His going to the party, the information about direct looking in eyes, touching children? The shaman and his interest? The amount of food, his becoming more benign? Going downstairs, Thao and his reading, the youngsters, his attack on Thao for his weakness and not inviting the girl out? Talking with her?
13.The family, Thao and his having to work for Walt, to compensate for trying to steal the car? Sue explaining? The variety of jobs, tools and the workshop, the discussions with Thao, respect, friendship, achievement? Thao and his skills, Walt helping? The contact for the job, going for the interview? Going to the shop, buying the tools and the bag? The comedy about men’s talk, Walt and his visit to the barber, the Italian jibes? Bringing Thao in, their illustrating the banter, the barber and his reaction, the performance for Thao? Thao and his response to the builder – and his being accepted? The gang, following Thao, stealing his tools, bashing him?
14.Walt and his illness, phoning his son, not being able to talk? The son, his wife and the visit? The brochure and the home for the elderly? Their being ousted?
15.Walt and his coughing up blood, going to the doctor, surprised at the Asian doctor? His lungs? Thao’s observations?
16.The shooting and the drive-by, the breaking of the glass, the wounding, Thao and his wounds? Unable to contact Sue, her arriving home, the violence and the rape?
17.The character of the priest, his persistence, meeting with Walt, visits to the home, to the bar, his learning about life and death, experience from Walt? Their talks, the seriousness of issues of life and death? Asking Walt about killing, his responsibility? Walt going to the church, the confession, the sins – bothering him for many years? Walt’s preparation for death?
18.The final vengeance, the discussions with the priest, the possibilities of violence, the rifle, the priest and his concern with the police? Walt and his challenge, the confrontation with the cousin, his henchmen? His finger as the gun? Going as if to draw, his being shot to death in front of witnesses? Self-sacrifice – a Christ figure for the sake of the Hmongs?
19.The final Mass, those present, the neighbours, the family? The priest and his repeating of Walt’s comments about him?
20.The will, the anticipation of the family, Walt leaving the Grand Torino to Thao?
21.A film about age, ageing, its effect? The prejudice and the possibility of overcoming prejudice by sharing? Change?
