ScreenWize

What does it mean to be a man? Since seeing Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, that question has been buzzing ceaselessly around my head. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War vet who has worked on the Ford assembly line for 40 years. An unashamed racist, Walt is disappointed with the world at large, and with the changing demographic of his neighbourhood in particular. Retired and recently widowed, Walt’s life is limited to drinking beers on his porch with his dog, and caring for his beloved car, the titular Ford Gran Torino.

The car becomes a catalyst for change when Thao (Bee Vang), the Hmong teenager next door, is bullied into stealing it by a local gang. Walt catches him and Thao offers to work for Walt to restore his family’s honour. Through the cheeky banter of Thao’s sister Sue (Ahney Her), Walt surprises himself by forming a relationship with their family, and becoming a mentor to Thao.

There are no punches pulled by Nick Schenk’s fine screenplay, or by Eastwood’s sparse direction. This will be a difficult film for some to watch. The language, especially in Walt’s racist tirades, is quite brutal, but it leads to a greater truth as Walt discovers that he has more in common with his loathed Hmong neighbours than he has with even his own family. I find it interesting that the film’s release coincides with the inauguration of Barack Obama, as it echoes themes about a country embracing its diversity, healing and redemption, something Eastwood achieves without sentimentality or any sense of self-importance. At the same time, the film is a well-judged mix of comedy, pathos and tragedy.

Shot in a grainy filmstock in muted and naturalistic tones, Eastwood the director concentrates on mood and performance over look, and he doesn’t pull any punches when presenting himself either. Looking every one of his 79 Years, his own performance is perhaps one of his best, and he extracts fine work from the mostly amateur Hmong extras. Outstanding are his two Hmong co-stars Bee Vang and Ahney Her, and it is his scenes with these two that have me pondering on the meaning of manhood.

As Dirty Harry in the 1970s, Eastwood told us that a man carried a gun and used his fists. Here an older and more reflective Eastwood composes a lesson for the younger generation. His conclusions will stir you into reflection, or discussion. Enjoy.

CK

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Filed Under: Reviews by Simon