At times, the film plays out like a mediocre action-comedy, with Clint Eastwood's no-nonsense, Dirty Harry-esque character aiming to take down the local bad guys; later, it dramatically shifts in tone to become an intriguing social commentary on racism with little warning. At times, the various tones don't seem to fit well with one another, and the film can feel rather awkward to watch. That said, it's never boring.
Enter the Misanthrope
The film opens with Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) attending his wife's funeral at the local church. He is snarling and grumbling morosely to himself as he watches over his seemingly-unconcerned relatives (headed by Brian Haley and Geraldine Hughes) and has to listen to the young priest's (Christopher Carley) speeches about life and death. It would seem he is uncomfortable being around people -- particularly those of differing ethnicity that we discover, later, have recently moved into the house next to his.
Walt is a cynical, bigoted old man, who spends a majority of his time sat on the front porch drinking beer, with the United States flag proudly hung over his door, unashamedly spitting racial slurs to the Hmong immigrants that live to the left of him. He is also a Korean War Veteran who hints at a long history of violent behaviour, and won't tolerate the local gang members patrolling the streets and messing up his neighbourhood.
Love Thy Neighbour
After unintentionally earning the respect and gratitude of his neighbours, however -- and in particular, the friendly teenager named Sue (Ahney Her) -- Walt eventually begins to see a different side to the people with Hmong descent. The Hmongs begin to bond with Walt after he discovers he has more in common with them than his own flesh and blood. When the shy son of the family, Thao (Bee Vang), starts being harassed by gang-member cousin, Spider, (Doua Moua), this prompts Walt to protect him.
Gran Torino's sub themes are racial prejudice, isolation, violence and redemption; with the running theme being life and death. For much of the film, Father Janovich's desire is to get Walt to confess his sins, after promising Mrs Kowalski he would do so prior to her death. Walt, however, remains stubborn as he clings to his inner demons because this is the only way he has been taught to live.
Redemption, Anyone?
Walt's tough-guy persona and cynical outlook on humanity are products of his bad experiences being at war in Vietnam, losing his wife, and the strained relations that he has with his grown sons -- that's his reality. He believes that death is infinite, while life is not, and he mostly ignores the advice of the pursuing priest ("You know nothing about life or death, because you're an over-educated, 27-year-old virgin who holds the hands of superstitious old women and promises them eternity.")
As the two clash, there's a bittersweet aura surrounding the whole film, and Gran Torino is at its most intriguing when these scenes take place. As the characters interact with one another, we're made to see that no human being is perfect (not even the priest). This isn't a fairy tale -- hate and violence still exist in a cruel world -- but just as relationships can develop, certain flaws can be accepted, lessons can still be learnt and taught, and priorities can be shifted.
Dirty Harry Meets the New-School
While there are things to admire in Gran Torino, it's the one-dimensional villains, the odd cheese ball line, and the standoffs bordering on parody (Walt takes out his "finger gun" on least three separate occasions) that present an uneasy mix of comedy and melodrama to go with the good. What seems like a serious statement about racism in temporary America in some places, quickly becomes a vehicle for Eastwood to scowl and trash talk the bad guys in typical Dirty Harry fashion.
Sure, there's nothing particularly wrong with that (who doesn't like Dirty Harry?), and, yes, Eastwood is obviously wanting to showcase a clash of generations between the old-school and the present tense, but it still feels rather awkward. Some may find that they like Gran Torino, while some may not. Others (myself being one of them) may find that it takes a fair while to sink in.
Andy Carrington - Andy Carrington is a Freelance Poet/Writer from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, currently residing in Bradford. He was educated at Wakefield ...
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