Film Review: Gran Torino (2008)

Clint Eastwood stars in and directs in the old school Gran Torino

Jan 2, 2009 Rob Humanick

Clint Eastwood scores another hit as he continually reminds us that nobody does neo-classic American filmmaking quite like he does. 3 stars out of 4.

For many years now, Clint Eastwood's films have been looking backwards as a means of progression, utilizing tried-and-true means of classic Hollywood-style storytelling which, combined with a man of Eastwood's age and wisdom, have made for some particularly savory works (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven and Letters from Iwo Jima in particular). Even those genre exercises that haven't exactly gelled in all the right places (Mystic River and Flags of Our Fathers as per this writer's money; Changeling, reported as disastrous by many who saw it) have proven interesting in how they echo the American classics that Eastwood's career is built on.

Old Dog, New Tricks

Such self-consciousness reaches improbable new heights in Eastwood's tragicomedy Gran Torino, a Searchers-tinged neo-Western in which the former Man with No Name plays Walt Kowalski, an embittered Korean war vet with no close ties and little to do but drink, nurse lifelong grudges and regrets, tend to his property (including the titular mint condition 1972 vehicle) and mutter xenophobic slurs regarding his entirely non-Caucasian neighborhood, all the while his wartime rifle never far from arm's reach. After working for the Ford motor company much of his life, the fact that his estranged son sells Japanese cars for a living is nothing less than a matter of personal offense.

None of this is helped any when the activity of a local gang sees the attempted theft of Walt's prized Torino, or the peace-disturbing harassment of his next-door neighbors, a Hmong family (rooted in the hillsides of Thailand and Laos, immigrated to the U.S. after American's withdrawal from Vietnam). Threats of violence with the gang -- a group of senseless punks rebelling without a cause -- bring these otherwise isolated households together, and it is through a combined arsenal of quip-like R-rated zingers and deliberate, gently calculated scenes of character interplay that Gran Torino showcases Walt's transformation from misanthrope to someone with a cause to fight for.

A Talent and an Icon

Eastwood ranks high among actors-turned-directors, and in no small part because the man is so knowing and humble in the manner that he casts himself. As Walt, Eastwood knowingly plays off his trademark scruffiness to create a character of thwarted intentions, embodying the survival-based racism one often carries with them from war with something of a hyperbolic curmudgeony zeal.

Like much of the film, his character plays overt, even over-the-top, on page, but fits nicely within the film's expressionistic framework and complemented acutely by Eastwood's trademark scowls and glares. Walt spends much of the film humorously engaging his neighbors and newfound friends with a faux nasty banter, turning the fronts of racism on their head in a social war zone where race and gender have only superficial meaning.

If Gran Torino doesn't quite reach the heights Eastwood has often ascended to of late, it is nevertheless a work of profoundly effective simplicity. Never stretching his approximation of B-movie ethics (here embodied by Eastwood's unglorified, to-the-point storytelling), Eastwood succeeds at making his film feel big by playing things deliberately small. Beginning in a church and returning to said location frequently throughout, Gran Torino is an effective reflection on Eastwood's career till this point, marking this point in his life (and our collective cultural history) as something of a bittersweet requiem. Though far from his best, we're still lucky to have it.

The copyright of the article Film Review: Gran Torino (2008) in Film Dramas is owned by Rob Humanick. Permission to republish Film Review: Gran Torino (2008) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Gran Torino movie poster	Ahney Her as Sue in Gran Torino	Clint Eastwood negotiates the peace in Gran Torino
Christopher Carley and Clint Eastwood in Gran...	Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

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Jan 2, 2009 2:09 PM

Guest :

I really want to see Gran Torino. It's so odd to see Eastwood acting again after doing so many great things as a director. It's clear that his many years in Hollywood have served as his acting school. A good acting school is worth it’s weight in gold. The key is to find one that caters to your individual needs. Not only do you need the basic tools for auditioning, scene study and the like, but you need a curriculum that works with whatever your schedule may be. Whether you work all day, go to high school or care for your kids, not everyone can study in the traditional way. Another acting program that works this way is Film Connection. http://www.film-connection.com/Acting.html The Film Connection’s acting program is affiliated with Joe Anthony studios and features valuable one-on-one mentoring. The best part is that they teach you the “business” part of show business. They are also available to anyone living in the United States and have financial aid assistance.

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