Grand Torino is another great Clint Eastwood Film. Still, at the age of 80 years, Eastwood makes for a stunning performance playing Walt Kowalski, a grumpy old war veteran who is disgusted with the changes happening around him. The film is based in a run down Detroit neighborhood, falling apart because of the failing auto industry. Walt is particularly upset with his new neighbors mostly made up of Hmong immigrants. Through lots of racism he ends up building a relationship with his new neighbors, ands leads him to a change of heart towards those around him. He helps the wimpy neighbor kid to stand up for himself, and to be what Walt considers a "real man". In the beginning of the film Walt is a racist jerk who cares for nothing but himself and his possessions. He seems dead set in his ways, usually sitting on his porch with a cheep cold beer in hand, scowling at the changes taking place around him. But we see a major change in his life during this movie. After catching the neighbor boy trying to steal his prize Gran Torino, the boy's family encourages a cultural tradition, making him work for Walt for a couple of weeks. During this work Walt begins to take a liking to the kid, and they end up being pretty close neighbors. Walt ends up risking his own life for his once despised neighbors. At several points in the movie Walt claims that because of what he has scene and done in Korea, his life has been ruined or "soiled" as he puts it. He says that he knows death, but as a Hmong "witch doctor" of sorts exposes, he knows very little about life. However through the short glimpse into the life of Walter Kowalski we see a remarkable change, and he finally learns about the goodness of life in his relationship with his new neighbors.
The film also does a great job of portraying a changing America. Walt worked at a Ford factory most of his life, and in his younger years he lived in a nice suburban neighborhood, which had now turned into a ghetto of sorts. The film helps us realize that the image of the American dream is changing. America is now a much more diverse place, and communities are rapidly changing. New industries are replacing new industries such as big time american automakers.
How have you seen communities in your life change?
Have these changes been for better or worse?
Response to question 1: Though I haven't lived long enough to see entire communities or cultures change signficantly, I have experienced a significant change in other elements such as technology and experienced many cultural norms that have challanged the morals and values that I grew up with. I feel that society will always change in some fashion, but how that affects my own life will depend on whether or not I conform to these changes. Life is a series of choices, thus, I feel that people change only when they desire to.
ReplyDeleteThere's something I like about this film, although I do feel like it's too heavy handed and the character development isn't very good. But maybe Eastwood felt like an in-your-face character was necessary to keep the conversation going about racism. I think it's interesting how self-preservation is so ingrained in Walt (something the empire loves us to believe in), but that self-sacrifice is his salvation.
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