Gran Torino

In Clint Eastwood’s reputed acting swansong he delivers a powerful and memorable performance that penetrates an aspect of America all too often brushed under the carpet. Gran Torino may not be subtle, but it does deliver a striking analysis of race, violence and old age in the United States. It is a fine entry into Eastwood’s directorial catalogue.

Gran Torino focuses on Walt Kowalski, a cantankerous, bigoted old man haunted by his actions during the Korean War and feeling out of place in modern day multicultural America. Gran Torino is not just a racial morality tale however; it is at the simplest level the tale of a man who in the closing stage of his life realises he no longer has a connection to anyone or anything, and questions his purpose and value. Walt Kowalski is estranged from his self-centred family, from his predominantly Hmong American neighbourhood and from modern day American in general, struggling to find his way. The film tracks his growing intimacy with his neighbours and his quest to find a cause worth dying for. This sprawling work also covers themes of violence and vigilantism, through both Kowalski’s Korean ghosts and the horrific attacks committed by modern day gangs.

The film has surprisingly comic moments for all of its serious subject matter. The opening scene at the funeral of the protagonist’s wife is darkly humorous. The audience sees Eastwood’s trademark snarl employed to great comic effect, as the dysfunctional family set up is revealed. There are amusing scenes later on when Walt attempts to teach his young, mild mannered neighbour Thao about the ways of old-fashioned American men, particularly in a barber shop where Walt trades banter and racial slurs with his Italian-American barber. In some ways, however, this scene detracts from the overall message of the film as it shows Walt as being aware of the absurdity of his racial beliefs.

These light-hearted scenes and the sentimental feel of the much of the first half of the film are effective in lulling the audience into a false sense of security. The gang which threatens Kowalski’s Hmong neighbours are off screen for a substantial section of time, building up the suspense as the audience awaits their inevitable reappearance. The sudden onslaught of violence really makes the audience grasp the injustice and seeming hopelessness of the situation. Eastwood gives a fantastic performance as he allows Kowalski’s unbridled rage at the suffering of his neighbours to overflow. The image of Kowalski silently brooding in a dark empty room, his bloodied sore knuckles in clear view, is impossible to forget.

Eastwood gives a solid performance throughout the film and this is matched by his supporting cast, many of whom are newcomers. In particular, Ahney Her gives a impressive and affecting performance as Sue, the assertive and intelligent sister of Thao.

The film is too heavy-handed at times, and would benefit from Eastwood practising more restraint in his role as director. Eastwood’s constant snarls and grumbles are amusing and effective character pointers but start to wear somewhat by the end of the film. The constant stream of racial abuse emitted from Kowalski’s mouth is overdone. It is easy to see that he is prejudiced, and so there is no need to keep labouring this point. Perhaps Walt’s family could have been given more attention and development; instead they appear as caricatures: the vacuous granddaughter, the greedy sons. There is some attempt to address this; for example, one of Walt’s sons appears affected after a phone call to his father, highlighting the distance between them. It would have been interesting to have seen this developed more, but at the same time, the film already covers multiple issues so it is easy to see why it wasn’t pursued.

Nevertheless, Gran Torino is a film which demands your attention. Although on paper the plot may not interest you (I was dubious over how much I would enjoy this film beforehand), it cannot help but win you over. Eastwood yet again demonstrates his finesse in the art of storytelling.

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