Cory Palmer

David Lehleitner
Film 1070

Final Paper

In his return to filmmaking after four years, Clint Eastwood starred in and directed
Gran Torino, a film about a racist old man, living among and eventually accepting
minorities. Eastwood took on the project because he liked "that it dealt with prejudice,
that it was about never being too old to learn." This quote accurately describes the
central conflicts of the film- the gang violence in Detroit and how it affects the Vang Lor
family, and Eastwoods character, Walt, and his inner struggles of adjusting to life in any
kind of community or family again.
Gran Torino focuses on themes of community, second chances, and change.
These ideas are demonstrated in the characters actions, and move the story forward.
Gran Torino presents an interesting and enlightening portrayal of gang violence among
minorities in America, and an unrealistic representation of an old dog learning new
tricks. Between the two conflicts, the struggles the Vang Lor family and their minority
community face stand out as more realistic and honest than those of Clint Eastwoods
character.
In Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran and
retired from an assembly line job in Detroit. A poor widower, estranged from his family,
his church, and most of society, Kowalski spends the majority of his time alone,
smoking and spending time with his dog, which contributes to his seemingly
deteriorating health. Kowalski reveals to his Priest that he is still haunted by memories
of the war, despite resenting him.
The neighborhood where he lives, Highland Park, has recently become
dominated by Asian immigrants, and gang violence runs rampant. Walt resents this
change, because his community used to be full of people just like him. Gang activity
begins to affect Walt when his next door neighbors, the Vang Lors, son, Thao, tries to
steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino, in an attempt to gain gang members respect and
initiate into their group.
When Thaos robbery goes unsuccessfully, the gang attacks him, and Walt
scares them off. Thaos mother makes him do small chores to apologize, and Walt
develops a reluctant respect for him. Walt further bonds with the Vang Lor family when
their daughter, Sue, teaches him about her culture. Walt starts to feel accepted by the
Vang Lors, and begins to feel that they are his family, even more than his own children.
Walt visits the doctor about his persistent coughing, and its implied that he does not
have very long to live. Thao is pressured to join the gangs, who attack him on his way
home from work one day. When Walt sees that Thao was hurt, he gets revenge by
going to the gangs house assaulting a member. This further provokes the gang, who
kidnap and rape Sue, and shoot Thao.
To begin his retaliation, Walt buys a suit and gets a haircut, then makes a
confession to his priest. He locks Thao in the his basement, to prevent him from getting
hurt in any way, and goes to the gangs house. Walt provokes the gang members by
yelling about their crimes in the streets, and infuriates them to the point that they shoot
him. Since Walt was unarmed and drew many witnesses by screaming in the street, the
gang members will probably serve long prison sentences. At Walts funeral, many of the
new people he has met attend, and he gives all his possessions to the church and his
prized Gran Torino to Thao.
The conflict between the Vang Lor family and the gang violence in Detroit is one
of the principal plot points of the story, and shares a powerful message about how
gangs are entrenched in the communities that theyre part of. While its safe to say that
most people would benefit from the gangs being eliminated, members of the minorities
families have joined gangs, and most people are afraid to speak out against the gangs
due to fear of retaliation. Many families and communities face these same problems in
real life, and Gran Torino does of good job of making this issue relatable and helping
people understand that there are no easy answers to gang violence.
Many people are quick to judge communities that are plagued with many of the
same problems in the film, and dont have a true understanding of what these people
are going through. Movies like Gran Torino, that demonstrate why people would join
gangs, why they are sustained and can thrive in communities, and why people are so
reluctant to report gang activity, make peoples struggles relatable and hopefully can
provoke empathy in unsuspecting people.
Gran Torino personifies this struggle in Thao, who is both afraid of the gangs,
and wants to join them. His own cousin torments and terrifies him, but also pressures
him into joining the gang. This honest portrayal of how people grapple with gangs in
their communities illustrates the pain they cause, and how deep the problem can go.
The other central conflict is in Clint Eastwoods characters inner struggle. Walt
feels lonely, and his life is changed when he lets other people, who he previously held
racist grudges against, into his life. While this is the main story of the film, it has
malicious implications and can easily be misinterpreted. Entertainment Weekly
columnist Mark Harris may have said it best, stating that "fantasy pretending to be social
commentary", denouncing the movie for promoting "the delusion that even the bigot
next door has something to teach us all about heroism and self-sacrifice. Eastwoods
gruff, rude character is someone most people can recognize as the racist old man next
door, someone most people have encountered in their life, and someone most people
wish they could change for the better. However, idea that anybody could find the good
in themselves and change for a better cause is idealistic, yet unrealistic.
While it is nice to believe that every racist, who has been entrenched in their own
beliefs for their entire life, can have a change of heart when shown a little compassion,
is rare at best and, in reality, entirely unlikely. The concept that any lifetime racist, who
has likely committed countless bigoted actions, only needs to be shown love by the
groups he hates, venomously excuses hate. This happy ending is wildly unrealistic, and
offers an overly idealized version of the good people may be capable of.
Between the two central plots of the film, the honest portrayal of gang violence
sets itself apart as more honest and and more resonant. The movies ability to make
gang violence relatable to viewers may leave them with more insight into a real world
problem that many people cant relate to. While Walts inner conflict is the main story in
the movie, its unrealistic nature and unbelievable climax portray racism and its
consequences in an overly idealized form, distancing itself from reality, while the
depiction of gang violence is honest and sheds light on real social problems in America.