January 18, 2009: Gran Torino
Gran Torino was one of two offerings from Clint Eastwood last fall (the other being Changeling). Both could reasonably be classified as Oscar bait, what with their intimate dramatic storylines hinting at a larger societal discord, lush production values, and occasional chewing of scenery which is carefully calculated to be perfect for trailers and awards show clips. But for one reason or another, Clint didn’t see much awards action this year, with Gran Torino actually not receiving any Oscar nominations at all.
This is the present-day story of Walt Kowalski (played by Eastwood himself), a Korean War veteran and recent widower living in Detroit, who sees the changing nature of his neighbourhood as a serious problem. There is a growing Korean population in the area, gang wars are sprouting up, people don’t maintain their property and their houses in the prim and proper way they once did, and Walt doesn’t really seem to fit into the world anymore. This disconnect is further characterized in the battered old Ford pickup truck he drives around, and the classic Ford Gran Torino he lovingly houses in his garage. Walt is a Ford guy, worked at the assembly plant nearby for decades, and doesn’t like the way the times have changed.
I could describe more of the plot progression…Walt comes to know the teenage kids next door a bit better through occasional dust-ups including a failed attempt to steal his car and some harassment by local thugs…Walt has some health problems which are brewing but about which we know very little other than that he coughs up blood now and again…Walt grows to understand some cultural differences despite remaining outwardly gruff and even racist in his language and behaviour…the local priest tries to connect with Walt as his wife had requested before her death…Walt’s spoiled granddaughter not-so-subtly suggests that she’d like him to leave her the Gran Torino when he dies. The story isn’t as episodic as that description perhaps makes it sound. The movie is well-constructed, to be sure, but it’s also definitely manipulative. Now, I do realize that I’m watching a movie here and I don’t resent being manipulated as a rule, but in this case a lot of things which happen are just a little too convenient in their timing or their advancement of personal relationships. And Eastwood’s portrayal of Walt as a gruff, racist old man has a certain novelty to it, but I think it goes over the top. He actually literally growls to express his anger. Give me a break.
Walt’s response to adversity is violence. Maybe he comes around at the end to realizing that that is not the best approach. I don’t want to spoil the ending but the impact of the movie’s climax and any change in his character is softened significantly by the lead-up, since we don’t know how convinced he really is of what he “has to do”. Up to this point the movie is entertaining but manipulative, however, the ending has a serious cop-out feel even though it could have played out as a real character redemption.
And maybe I’m biased because I’m a Chrysler guy, but I have a hard time finding it believable when people in the movie characterize Walt’s Gran Torino as being a beautiful classic car, because it’s so butt ugly.
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