Grand Torino

I saw the movie Grand Torino a few weeks ago and thought it was a great drama flick. Starring Clint Eastwood, the movie centers around Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) living in his Michigan suburb home. As a retired Korea War Veteran, he is a tough character often using racial slurs when speaking to his Vietnamese neighbors. In a brief encounter with a Hispanic gang, the teenage neighbor boy, Thao, is saved by his Vietnamese cousin’s gang and is expected to join them. As initiation, they ask that he prove himself by stealing Walt’s 1972 Grand Torino (a hot classic car). He is then caught in the act by Walt holding his M-1 Grande rifle and is ordered by the epic line “Get off my lawn.” Tensions rise between the gang and Thao, who decides he doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mess of gang fights. The relationship with Walt and his neighbors moves from uncomfortable to bearable to friendly interaction. Thao learns skills from Walt as he pays in restitution by doing yard work and other household chores. The climax of the movie is when Thao’s sister Sue is raped and beaten by the gang. The enraged Walt decides there’s nothing left to do but pay in blood.

I feel this movie cries out for the kingdom in a few ways. Walt acts as a good role model for Thao and teaches him to be a man. With more trust comes more responsibility; at one point, Walt even agrees to allowing Thao drive the Grand Torino on a date (of which Walt also played a crucial part in setting up). He also becomes less callous to his Vietnamese neighbors and increases the sense of community between the two households. Probably the most prominent Christian aspect in this movie is the ending. When Walt seeks to avenge Sue’s blood, you see him in his home cleaning his gun and preparing for a sort of battle. The viewer is led to believe he is loading up and packing heat. Tensions reach a maximum when Walt stands outside of the gang’s apartment with a dozen rifles and pistols being aimed at him. He reaches in his pocket to light a cigarette when the gang open fires on him—the picture then becomes clear: he played a Christ figure, paying with his own blood and not coming to kill them but to be killed.

This movie clearly shows there is evil present in our world. The gang fights, Walt’s history in the war, the horrendous rape—all evidence of our fallen world. In my opinion, the storyteller told the viewer that Walt’s death redeemed him of his brutal killings in the Korea War; that “there was peace in the world” after he died and had “made amend” with his enemies.

All in all, great movie, great acting…if you haven’t seen it yet, I certainly recommend it!