Gran Torino works on so many levels. First, you have the stereotypes on all sides of the aisle. The easy one is the American versus the Asian. But you also have the young versus the old. You have Walt's kids and grandkids who think that he is an angry old man who is out of touch with today. You have Walt who thinks that his kids and grandkids don't respect anything anymore. You have the various gang members that Walt encounters that think that because he is old, he can't take them on.
Then you have the value of respect. Respect is not something that is either given or taken. Rather it is something that is earned, and it should never be taken lightly. Even the priest, over time earns some of Walt's respect just as the priest begins to respect Walt.
Then there is the value of friendship. You wouldn't think so at the beginning of Gran Torino, but Walt does have friends. It is through them you begin to understand who Walt is and the time from which he lived. There is a particularly funny scene when Walt takes Thao to visit his barber so that they can "man" him up.
Finally there is the value of honor. It is through Thao, and the value his family placed on their honor, that Walt realizes that when you do something to dishonor yourself, you have to repay that violation, no matter what the cost.
I thought that Gran Torino was an incredibly well-made, well-directed, and well-acted film. To his credit, Eastwood wanted Hmong as cast members, so through various organizations they set up casting calls around the country to enlist their help and all cast members provided high quality, believable roles.
The rest of the cast was excellent as well. The only problem I had was with the Father Janovich character. At the beginning, he was very one dimensional, then as he gained some depth, he disappeared for a long segment of the movie, and when he appeared again it was somewhat disjointed and apart from the rest of the actors. This had nothing to do with Carley's acting, rather it seems like an under-defined, yet somewhat pivotal character.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
It was snubbed because it's not that good. It has some very good moments, but it certainly doesn't rise to greatness.
The film is too long, the plotting is weak, and at times it doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama.
Clint is doing Archie Bunker, and the amateur actors are obviously that.
Why the gangsters seek revenge against the Hmong family house and not Walt's makes no sense at all, other than to leave him for the climax, which was rather obvious as they beat into the audience what was going on with Walt.
The "manning up" scene you found funny was possibly the worst of the film. I couldn't believe a director of Clint's caliber would have let it stand. It was like what a teenager thinks men are like.
I could go on, but this film has many problems.
2 - T. Michael Testi
"Clint is doing Archie Bunker"
I totally disagree. Growing up, near the steel mills of Gary Indiana and working there as a kid, I knew people like Walt.
I was fortunate enough to know both blacks and whites who had these attitudes. That is what made the interactions between the Hmong matriarch and Walt so great.
"The "manning up" scene you found funny was possibly the worst of the film."
I have also seen the barber shop and while they played it up more for its comedy value, it still was real.
"Why the gangsters seek revenge against the Hmong family house and not Walt's makes no sense at all"
Sure it does, most drive by shooting are meant to scare some one. It is not the most effective way to kill someone. If people get killed, that's collateral damage.
They are trying to get to Thao and get back at Sue. They know that they cannot scare Walt and it would be more effective to bring out Walt this way.
Even though Eastwood was born in California, his dad was a steel worker so I suspect that there is a lot of background he grew up with that drew him to this role. Now at 78, he is viewing these people from a different perspective, and that is what I am seeing from it as well.
T.