David O'ConnellGran Torino
January 27th 2009 04:56
Confining himself to the director’s chair in recent years, Clint Eastwood’s legendary status has continued to grow in the estimation of most film critics, but in Nick Schenk’s Gran Torino he obviously saw another, perhaps final, chance to work as an actor with a screenplay worthy of his time. Part throwback, Walt Kowalski, a former veteran of the Korean conflict, possesses many of the resentful, sullen characteristics of past Eastwood creations such as the immortal Harry Callahan himself and Sgt Thomas Highway from Heartbreak Ridge.
After the death of his wife, Walt is left alone in his small home in the “old neighbourhood” as his two remaining sons refer to it. An exotic cultural mix of neighbours surrounds him – perhaps an accurate reflection of the changing social face of his country, but a development which is a source of bitterness and confusion for the openly racist Walt.
When he warns off the low-rent criminal relatives of next-door neighbours Thao (Bee Vang) and his sister Sue (Ahney Her), he becomes an heroic figure to their relatives, a title he’s repelled by, wanting nothing to do with these foreign invaders. Thao had earlier been reluctantly forced into a daring failed theft of Walt’s prized Gran Torino, and his family ensures that he addresses his guilt for this deed by working for free, doing whatever Walt asks of him as penance.
It provides an opportunity for redemption on both sides as the embittered Walt, haunted by his past and poisoned by his racist arrogance, begins to unconsciously mend some bridges, convincing himself that in interacting with these people he's merely fending off the boredom of his solitude, shared only with dog Daisy.
In time, he’s drawn to the young Hmong siblings, their culture, food and customs - and their unblinking good humour in the face of his racism, treating his remarks almost as if they were jokes. Though he won’t admit it he begins to feel a faint connection to Thao and Sue who are being held back by the sinister temptations of the criminal element in their community, threatening to shatter their chance at a more prosperous life.
Walt is far from irredeemable himself and whilst simultaneously thwarting the concerned approaches of young priest Father Janovich (Christopher Carley), he begins to see beyond his deep-seated resentments to a solution which makes life more bearable for everyone. It’s a joy to watch his gradual, though reluctant, transformation which Eastwood gives realistic dimensions to - no easy task considering some of his excesses border on cariacature, and even parody at times.
We laugh continually at Walt's racial epithets, though almost in shame and embarrassment at their very non-PC content. He should be a repugnant character but instead his gives the impression of being harmlessly ignorant and so, subliminally, we're willing to excuse him for his tasteless indiscretions.
The struggle he undertakes for people he initially detested on sight has many genuinely moving twists and leads to a finale which proves to be a classic inversion of our expectations - those groomed from the start by Walt’s staunchly-held, misaligned beliefs.
If Eastwood does bow out with Gran Torino it’ll be more than just an insignificant footnote for a career which has seen many more highs than lows and seen praise heaped upon his craft as a director and skill with actors. His two young charges here give strong performances in their screen debuts, though the director’s renowned adherence to a minimal number of takes may have worked to the detriment of a couple of scenes in which Vang needs to express anger at his predicament; maybe an extra take or two might have erased the unconvincing rage and lack of believability that those scenes generate from his side, but it's a minor quibble.
Gran Torino may be seen as a rather simplistic portrayal of tolerance ultimately, but it's a funny and moving film, proof of one man’s ability to put aside his prejudices in siding with his "opponents" in the melting pot of the new American suburbs for a cultural war that takes no prisoners. True, it's unlikely that the kind of innate racism portrayed here could be overcome by most individuals in the real world, but as an optimistic statement of hope it deserves credit for providing solid, occasionally gripping, entertainment whilst daring to dream its idealistic dream.
After the death of his wife, Walt is left alone in his small home in the “old neighbourhood” as his two remaining sons refer to it. An exotic cultural mix of neighbours surrounds him – perhaps an accurate reflection of the changing social face of his country, but a development which is a source of bitterness and confusion for the openly racist Walt.
When he warns off the low-rent criminal relatives of next-door neighbours Thao (Bee Vang) and his sister Sue (Ahney Her), he becomes an heroic figure to their relatives, a title he’s repelled by, wanting nothing to do with these foreign invaders. Thao had earlier been reluctantly forced into a daring failed theft of Walt’s prized Gran Torino, and his family ensures that he addresses his guilt for this deed by working for free, doing whatever Walt asks of him as penance.
Walt defending his property
It provides an opportunity for redemption on both sides as the embittered Walt, haunted by his past and poisoned by his racist arrogance, begins to unconsciously mend some bridges, convincing himself that in interacting with these people he's merely fending off the boredom of his solitude, shared only with dog Daisy.
In time, he’s drawn to the young Hmong siblings, their culture, food and customs - and their unblinking good humour in the face of his racism, treating his remarks almost as if they were jokes. Though he won’t admit it he begins to feel a faint connection to Thao and Sue who are being held back by the sinister temptations of the criminal element in their community, threatening to shatter their chance at a more prosperous life.
Walt instructs Thao (Bee Vang)
Walt is far from irredeemable himself and whilst simultaneously thwarting the concerned approaches of young priest Father Janovich (Christopher Carley), he begins to see beyond his deep-seated resentments to a solution which makes life more bearable for everyone. It’s a joy to watch his gradual, though reluctant, transformation which Eastwood gives realistic dimensions to - no easy task considering some of his excesses border on cariacature, and even parody at times.
We laugh continually at Walt's racial epithets, though almost in shame and embarrassment at their very non-PC content. He should be a repugnant character but instead his gives the impression of being harmlessly ignorant and so, subliminally, we're willing to excuse him for his tasteless indiscretions.
The struggle he undertakes for people he initially detested on sight has many genuinely moving twists and leads to a finale which proves to be a classic inversion of our expectations - those groomed from the start by Walt’s staunchly-held, misaligned beliefs.
In her debut Ahney Her is excellent as Sue
If Eastwood does bow out with Gran Torino it’ll be more than just an insignificant footnote for a career which has seen many more highs than lows and seen praise heaped upon his craft as a director and skill with actors. His two young charges here give strong performances in their screen debuts, though the director’s renowned adherence to a minimal number of takes may have worked to the detriment of a couple of scenes in which Vang needs to express anger at his predicament; maybe an extra take or two might have erased the unconvincing rage and lack of believability that those scenes generate from his side, but it's a minor quibble.
Gran Torino may be seen as a rather simplistic portrayal of tolerance ultimately, but it's a funny and moving film, proof of one man’s ability to put aside his prejudices in siding with his "opponents" in the melting pot of the new American suburbs for a cultural war that takes no prisoners. True, it's unlikely that the kind of innate racism portrayed here could be overcome by most individuals in the real world, but as an optimistic statement of hope it deserves credit for providing solid, occasionally gripping, entertainment whilst daring to dream its idealistic dream.
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