Grand Torino

In class today we watched the movie Grand Torino. It is a 2007 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. He also plays the lead acting role, Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran. Kowalski is a bitter, rude, depressed and cranky old man. He lives in a dangerous neighborhood where gang violence is an issue, something he will experience close up. He suddenly finds himself fighting another war, this time a war against the gang members, trying to keep his new neighbors and friends out of harm’s way.

 It all begins when one of Walt's Hmong neighbors, a boy named Thao, is pressured by his cousin to steal Walt's car as his initiation to the cousin's gang. Through a series of events Walt develops a relationship with this boy and his family, which he initially wanted nothing to do with. In a neighborhood filled with gang members, racism, discrimination and an unsafe environment, Walt finds a light in the Hmong family. The more attached he gets to this family, the more we get to know the human being behind the tough and hardened facade Walt puts up. The movie address issues regarding cultural differences and the challenges following, how having different ethnic backgrounds affect human interaction, manners and communication. It is about young people and old people, the respect they have for each other, and how your upbringing defines your values and morals. An example of this is the scene where Walt stands on his porch smoking a cigarette when he sees a gang of punks walking by an old lady who drops all her groceries on the ground. They react by laughing, pointing and making fun of the lady before continue walking. Right before Walt decides that there is no hope for the future generations, Thao comes running cross the road to help the old lady pick up the groceries.

 We are introduced to the Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group from the regions of Vietnam, China, Laos and Thailand. I had never heard of the Hmong before I watched this movie, therefore I liked that Clint Eastwood chose this ethnic group for his film. The movie also lets us know a little about the Korean War and the hardships it inflicted on Walt. The emotions Walt revealed when talking to Thao about the war and the lives he took speaks for itself. We understand how that part of his past is a significant reason why he behaves the way he does and why he is not at peace with himself and his life. It represents the same emotions and haunting memories thousands of war veterans live with everyday, creating a real and believable character. 

The plot and the conflict of the movie slowly unfold, beginning with the gang trying to initiate Thao, even though he does not want anything to do with them. He is pressured to steal Walt's precious Ford Grand Torino, but ends up fleeing the scene. From there on out Thao becomes their target of harassment. The gang members are determined to make Thao's life very unpleasant unless he joins them. I think the movie reaches a maximum, a turning point, when Sue (Thao's sister) fumbles through the doorway of their little house almost beaten to death and raped by the gang members. After that scene everyone, even the priest, understands that something drastically has to be done and Walt is the one who is going to solve the gruesome conflict at hand. He has to make completely sure the gang members won’t ever hurt someone again. The situation evolves and escalates leading up to the big finish scene where Walt gets shot. He had obviously planned this encounter with the gang members very carefully. He made sure witnesses were watching, he made sure every single gang member had their gun pointed directly at him, and he made sure they would believe he was reaching for his own gun when he went for his jacket pocket, and he made sure every single one of them would fire.

 I say the movie has a dramatic conflict resolution due to how Walt had to sacrifice himself to put all those people away without necessarily killing them.  He had killed enough people in his life. It was absolutely amazing as well as extremely emotional to watch the transformation in Walt as he found something new to value and appreciate. Walt's act and sacrifice can be related to the meaning behind the powerful sentence from "The Kite Runner" by Khalid Hosseini that we read last semester; "There is a way to be good again". Walt had lived a life of bitterness and hatred, haunted daily by his troubled past of war and bloodshed. This was his way to be good again. This was his final redemption.  

My opinion of the film is that it is an excellent one. It focuses on the importance of reaching out and helping others.  I recommend "Grand Torino" to absolutely everyone and I can promise that you will not regret watching this powerful, emotional and inspirational movie.