...Gran Torino (2008) is an American drama film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also assumes the role of lead actor. Right from the outset, it becomes abundantly clear that Eastwood is having fun with this film and its central character, Walt Kowalski. Credit must go to Eastwood, given that his penchant for fun does not undermine the serious nature of the plot. The majority of film reviewers draw attention to Kowalski’s troubled existence in a changing world. Conflict escalates after the death of Kowalski’s wife, particularly as Kowalski’s life becomes embroiled with the Hmong family living next door. At the surface level of plot, this is a story about a man and his struggles with himself and the world around him. At a deeper level, however, this is a profoundly religious story through which a viewer may, to use Robert Ellis’ expression, “stumble across the gospel travelling incognito.”1 [2] Many scholars have demonstrated successfully that ostensibly secular films can sustain a religious interpretation. The potential for audiences to tap into the religious nature of certain films, to perceive a sacred subtext, is due to the fact that “narratives have a dual nature, namely, an overt plot and a covert storyline of varying complexity that is comparable to the metaphorical or symbolic within literature.”2 For this reason, as Anton Kozlovic explains, “secular film can engage in religious storytelling without appearing ‘religious’.”3 While most reviewers of Gran Torino focus...
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...Gran Torino Film Critique ENG 225 March 17, 2013 Gran Torino Film Critique Gran Torino is a drama about redemption, helping others, and demonstrates how we are all the same regardless of cultural differences. The movie focuses on the relationship Walt develops with his Hmong neighbors. Walt manages to strategically save the life of the boy next door, Thao. Walt helps Thao get his life back on track. Thao has been coerced to partake into his cousin’s gang. The gang forces Thao to steal Walt’s Gran Torino. Once Walt finds Thao in his garage trying to steal his Gran Torino, he knows that something has gone wrong with Thao. At this point, the drama in the story soars, as Walt begins his personal quest to protect Thao. Walt tries his best not to reveal that he has a caring soul but that he is an angry and grumpy old man. Later the film reveals that Walt is the complete opposite of angry and grump. As the story unfolds and the gangbangers return and Walt reaches for his gun, the film moves from comedy, drama, tragedy, and then into something unexpected. Nick Schenk wrote Gran Torino and his inspiration with the Hmong culture. Schenk placed a Hmong family next door to a Korean War veteran. The main story line develops as the Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood) learns to adapt and interact with the Hmong family. Clint Eastwood directed, produced, and starred in the drama Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood began his acting career in low budget films in 1955. In 1959...
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...These elements include for example voice-overs, background music and titles and credits and are part of a plot, but not part of a story. A plot consists, beside the diegetic elements of the world of the story presented on the screen, also of nondiegetic material. Apart from (non)diegetic elements, the story also differs from the plot because of the chronological order. Within a story, every event happens in chronological order, but within a plot, events do not necessarily have to appear in chronological order. In Gran Torino the difference between the story and the plot is immediately visible at the very first scene: Walt is already old and his wife passed away. As the viewer you won’t get to know everything that has happened in Walt’s life before the plot starts and you won’t get to know his wife. One of the few things Gran Torino does refer to is Walt’s past in Korea (therefore, this element is part of the plot as well as the story). 2. Character traits in Gran Torino If the viewer would know exactly what...
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...majority of his life and he is watching it change and be immigrated with Hmong people and it's becoming a popular place for gang activity. Gran Torino is destined to become a classic film because of the great acting that Clint displays, the story can relate to some people and places today. It's a very simple yet amazing story that you can take to heart. It is a movie that everyone should see at least once. I believe that the acting is a good reason to why this movie should be a classic film. Clint Eastwood displays one of the best acting seen from him in this movie Then seen in awhile. Also from Thao (Bee Vang) he did a phenomenal acting job. He played the innocent teen caught up in the wrong group, not trying to cause trouble. All in all the acting was really good, they were nominated for many awards but I don't think they won one....
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...Torres, Stacy. "Aging, Gran Torino-Style." Contexts (2010): n. pag. Print. In this article the author, Stacy Torres begins with highlighting the aging issues that are presented in the film. She points out that in this film; Walt defies the stereotypes of the old and from a physically helpless victim of these stereotypes to a doting old man enjoying a worry-free retirement. He turns out to be a man of heroic deeds by helping helpless victims of violence, Thao and his sister, Sue. The author of this article terms the star, Walt as a man who can be graded under a different generation of his own because of the raw language that he does use; it makes one to flinch. It gets worse for such kind of man to live with neighbors that he cannot befriend: the Hmong brother and sister who live next door. But, out of the confrontation with Thao, who was trying to steal his Gran Torino car he becomes friend with this teenager and later on with his sister. The true friendship goes on as he shifts from spending all day involving himself with physical labor of mowing the lawn and fixing his neighbors’ car, sink, or washing machine. One of the things that the writer of this article notes is the deteriorating physique of Walt and the uncaring family members. She suggests that they either should take the...
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...Gran Torino Jamie P. Lard Texas A&M University-Central Texas Summary The movie “Gran Torino” tells the story of Walt Kowalski (played by Clint Eastwood), who is a retired autoworker and also a veteran of the North Korean war. In the first part, the film Walt loses his wife, Dorothy. He is survived by his two sons their wives and grandchildren. However, Mr. Kowalski chooses not to display affection toward or even try to bond with his sons, daughters-in-laws, and grandchildren. He spends much of his time sitting on the front porch drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and growling at the neighborhood people as they walk past his house. It seems that Kowalski has difficulties communicating with non-whites without making offensive racial remarks. It is evident that the racial slurs he makes throughout the first part of the movie are for self-gratification. Mr. Kowalski’s snarling character emanates a form of white machismo that uses racism as a way of empowering himself. In the movie “Gran Torino” the cultural diversity is abundant; however it is met with prejudice and resistance from the main character, Walt Kowalski. His house is located in an once prominent area of Highland Park, Michigan. Mr. Kowalski was an American made man, everything that he owns was made in America. Mr. Kowalski was upset with his sons for purchasing foreign cars because he as always purchased American made cars. Which brings us to the main feature of the film is the “Gran Torino.” Mr...
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...The scenes in which the exposition is concerned are scene one, because the funeral of his wife takes place, so you learn about his recent history. After that there is an introduction about Walt, in which is mentioned that he was in the army, and some properties of Walt are told, so you get to know about his past, the military and about how he is and looks. In scene four his past in the military is told again. In scene six, another part of his background comes forwards, he lives in an Asian neighborhood from which the houses once belonged to Polish families. Walt dislikes the people in the neighborhood because he is a full-blown, unrepentant racist. In scene 6 the car of Walt, the 1972 Gran Torino is introduced in the story, a car of which he is very, very proud. The scenes that are concerned with the inciting moment are the next: The cousin of Tao, ‘’spider’’ and his gang show up at the house of Tao’s family. They are trying to make Tao come with them, he refuses and says fuck off. They are grabbing him and punching Sue. Then Walt steps in because everybody in the neighborhood is Asian, and he is the last ‘’American’’. So he is fighting to remain in the area, and he defends his own property. Therefore he is getting really mad when they step on his ground. The dramatic conflict: Walt’s world and the society around him, changes completely because of all the foreign people in the neighborhood, while he is very conservative. He is not used to all the foreign people, he...
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...Gran Torino The movie “Gran Torino” is based around an older racist man named Walt. The movie starts with Walt being an old grumpy man who lives in the ghetto by himself, due to the recent death of his wife. After Walt finds the boy who lives next door named Thao trying to steal his car; Thao’s family orders that Thao will now work for Walt to repay his debt to him. Walt at first does not care for Thao and his sister Sue because they are asian, but after getting to know them Walt secretly warms up to them. Through the movie the pastor keeps on eye on Walt to see how he is doing and offers to talk with Walt if he needs it. Walt usually shuts him down on the spot and doesn’t want to talk to him at all. Walt soon finds out that it was Thao’s cousin and gang where the ones who put Thao up to it to steal Walt’s car. Walt tries to help Thao and gets him a job as a construction worker. Soon after that the gang approaches Thao while he was walking home from work one day and attack him and burn his face with a cigarette. After Walt finds this out, he goes to one of the gang member’s houses and beats him up warning him not to mess with Thao anymore. The gang counter attacks by raping Sue and attacking her and doing a drive by on Thao’s house. Walt knows that for Thao and Sue to have better lives in the future he was going to have to get rid of the gang. Walt goes alone and sacrifices himself so that they gang would get locked up and sent to jail were they couldn’t hurt Thao and Sue...
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...Research Question: What is it that allows Walt to finally confess his true burdens in the scenes where he receives a reading from the shaman, he finally goes to confession with the priest, and he gives his final real confession to Thao? Brian Neuman Dr. Paul McCormick English 110.01 29 February 2012 Clever Title War is hell they say, and so far that statement has held up to itself. After a man has experienced war it changes him for better or worse. The main character in Gran Torino, Walt, is one such example of a man touched by war. The things that Walt has seen and done have affected him, and hardened him, both inside and out. However even the hardest shell can be cracked. In the film it is Walt’s interactions with caring individuals allow him to finally relieve the burden that he is carrying. Walt is quickly portrayed as a skeptic, but nevertheless when he visits Sue’s family he allows the family shaman to do a reading of him. With us having seen Walt’s tendencies, it is quite surprising that he agrees to such a strange ritual. He seemingly agrees just to humor Sue, but is surprised with what he is told. The shaman hits the issues that are bothering Walt more than anyone else, “he says you have no happiness in your life. It’s like you’re not at peace.” You can see just from Walt’s reaction how true that these words are. By analyzing this scene you can learn a few things about Walt. The most important is the fact that he is not only unhappy with the death of his wife...
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...Gran Torino Film Analysis Norma J Morehead Intercultural/International Communication 10 June 2012 Cultural conflict and popular culture are two experiences in life that assist in defining intercultural communication and how its influence affects our daily intercommunication. Cultural conflict is inevitable as we live out our daily lives in the identities we have selected for ourselves, the identities relating to our ethnicity and in those identities others have selected for us. These identities are bound to conflict with another individual’s identities which is why there is a need for understanding what intercultural communication is and how it can be enhanced becomes vital to peaceful living around the world. Popular culture is a reference point for information used to determine who we want to be, who we are, and what we want in life. Popular culture has its good attributes and its bad attributes, both shape our society. Popular culture as it relates to television, video games, music videos and print media has a negative reputation because it is driven by money. There are characteristics of popular culture that are positive and enrich the lives of individuals such as the fine arts; the symphony, theatre, and museums. In a free society we are fortunate to have a choice. We are a free society and we want to remain a free society which makes the need for successful intercultural communication that much more important to achieve. Released in 2008, the film Gran Torino...
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...Grand Torino starts off in church, where a funeral ceremony is underway for Dorothy Kowalski. Her husband, the surly Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) stands by her coffin, accepting condolences. Much to his displeasure, he notices his grandkids walk inside, not exactly dressed for a funeral and not all that respectful. His two sons, Mitch and Steve, whisper to each other about Walt, talking how they're hardly on speaking terms anymore. As Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) gives his eulogy, Walt looks around disapprovingly at his family. He snarls at Janovich's sermon. At his house, in an immigrant-dominated neighborhood, people throng for the after-funeral lunch. Downstairs in the basement, Walt's grandkids look through an old army chest and see pictures of Walt during the Korean War and a medal. They quickly put them back and shut the chest as Walt passes through. Upstairs, he walks slowly and grumpily through the crowd and refuses help from his grand-daughter, Ashley (Dreama Walker). He goes outside with his dog, Daisy (probably the only creature he seems to like), and sees guests going into the house next door, which is inhabited by a Hmong family. He spits in disgust. He catches Ashley smoking in the garage next to his car. She asks him about it and he tells her it's a 1972 Gran Torino. Rather inappropriately, she asks about stuff she can have when he dies. He stalks off, wordlessly. A Hmong kid from next door, Thao Vang Lor (Bee Vang), comes over to ask for jumper cables...
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...It is important to know one’s own identity. We might ask ourselves what exactly is identity? Well, Patricia Briggs in Cry Wolf has said that ‘identity is partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life’ and I think it wouldn’t have been a better way to show it than in the feature film, “Gran Torino.” This film written and directed by Clint Eastwood in 2008 embodies the struggle of an American man who hates all things foreign due to his upbringing, to a man that mentors a foreigner and ultimately chooses to sacrifice his life to bring justice to them. Walt Kowalski is characterised to be an old fashioned, hard-core American man who hates foreign objects. This is emphasised from the close up shots of Walt’s disapproving glare juxtaposed with close up shots of his granddaughter’s scanty clothes. Also it is emphasised in the conversation that his sons have. Furthermore, his hate for foreign made objects is illustrated when he looks displeased at his son’s choice of car. The close up shot on the car clearly illustrates that it is ‘Toyota’ and not an American car. He also adds through gritted teeth “kill you to buy American” emphasises his animosity for foreign cars and the shudder at the end illustrates his disgust for foreign objects. Throughout the film, Kowalski is depicted to be incapable of interacting with a non-white person without using the most offensive racial epithets. This snarling character also represents masculinity that relies on overt...
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...Chris Abernathy Block 1 5/19/13 Gran Torino ECR In the movie Gran Torino, by Clint Eastwood, Eastwood plays a racially bitter and lonely war veteran that doesn't really have a soft side at first for anyone after his wife dead. He treated everyone the same, with a grumpy attitude. He would keep to himself cause he felt it was the best thing of him to recover from his lost. He wouldn't take any hand outs or help from anyone cause he believed he could do it all by himself and didn't need anyone. The movie shows great examples of how he went from a stuck up grumpy old man to a kind hearted caring man in the end. In the movie when Walt (Clint Eastwood) catches Thao trying to steal his car late at night for the initiation because his crazy cousin and friends were trying to get him to be more of a man and be apart of the gang. After Thao was caught and held up by gun point by Walt, he manages to get away. After that the next day his cousin and friends came back around causing problems and Walt comes out and holds them up by gun point to scare them off. Thao's mom felt that Thao had a debt to Walt now for helping him out, so he had to come work for Walt for a little. Thao would be given tasks that would get him dirty and really have to put a lot of energy into. Walt started to ease up on him towards the end because he saw something different in Thao then all the other bad kids in the neighborhood. Another example from the movie is when Sue invites Walt over to a family...
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...In Director and Actor Clint Eastwood’s film Gran Torino (United States, 2008) race and cultural clash are the main forces driving the story of Walt Kowalski, a retired Polish American and his encounters with his Asian Hmong neighbours whom he grows closer with as his own family pulls away following the death of his wife. Walt’s isolation from his family as well as his bitter attitude toward the world that changed around him reflect the cultural shift society has undergone and how the American dream has become a nightmare of crime, gangs, sex, and money. Walt’s vintage Gran Torino becomes a symbol, encompassing a time when things were simpler and the future looked bright. As he copes with the changes that occur in every aspect of his life Walt becomes an antihero, driven to do good for the people around him by using the violence built up inside of him from his years in the Korean War. Eastwood embodies a dying generation through the single character of Walt and his personality and actions allow the audience to draw comparisons between the America of yesterday and the America of today, which has immigration, innercity violence, and racism. His direction brings the audience’s attention to these social and cultural issues through his extensive camera work and a well developed screenplay. From the beginning of the film onward, Eastwood uses the camera frame as part of the narrative to show Walt’s position on the world around him. This is first seen when his teenage granddaughter...
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...A Changed Man Detroit Michigan used to be one the largest producers of automobiles in the country. It used to be filled with blue-collared people who worked the 8-5 shift every day and would be home in time for dinner. This all changed when the factories were shut down and production was moved over seas. Consequently, after the factories were shut down most of the white people left the city to find new jobs, causing one of the largest housing crisis in American history. Homes were being sold for cheap which caused low income ethnic groups to move in and crime to rise. Many families watched this slow change occur and watch their loved ones move away from them before their very own eyes. Clint Eastwood was one of those men that witnessed this change occur. Clint is a retired worker from the Ford plant who is a man who can’t accept the change around him. He is a man who eats chili for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and causes nightmares by looking someone directly in the eyes. After the death of his wife, he struggled to find happiness in his life unless it involved beer and a cigarettes. His tough natured hard-working American self, gave him an image as a Christ figure that people could look up to. An individual’s identity is determined by their actions and how they able to adapt to different cultures and racial surroundings around them. Surrounding cultures can have great influences on a person’s identity or well-being. In Clint Eastwood’s case, the diverse cultures...
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