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| DVD cover for the movie "Gran Torino." |
Years ago I saw every Clint Eastwood movie when it was in released to the theaters. So when one of my colleagues lent me her DVD of the 2008 movie Gran Torino to watch, it wasn't hard for me to accept. The fact that Martha only owns two DVDs and "Gran Torino" is one of those increased my interest and curiosity.
Synopsis: Recently widowed Korean War veteran and retired (Ford) autoworker Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) doesn't much like how his life or his Detroit neighborhood has turned out. The world has changed around him. His neighborhood is now mostly rundown and occupied by Asians: a Hmong family lives next door.
He doesn't get along with his sons and grandchildren, all of whom seem more interested in their inheritance from him. His prized possession is a mint condition 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Through a series of incidents, Walt's dislike for his neighbors slowly warms up. Events cause Walt to act against However, a local gang that feeds on violence and fear, trigger Walt to act, though not in a way that might be expected.
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| The Gran Torino of the movie of the same name. |
My Comments: This was a thoughtful movie I thought. Martha described it as a character study, which I think is an accurate description. On the surface, it can be seen to be about racism (the Wikipedia entry-see above and below-spends a lot of space on racism), but I think there is more to it than that.
Martha found a review from a Christian college that dwelt on the spiritual aspects as well as the racial ("The Incarnational Clint Eastwood: A Review of Gran Torino"). For me, this review captures my reaction better than the film being merely about racism or imperialism.
The Catholic Church plays a part in this movie and is treated pretty fairly and respectfully. The part that religion plays in the film is an indication to me that there is more here than mere racism or bigotry. In some ways, it is a modern take on the "Love thy Neighbor" instruction.
The movie also deals with masculinity, violence, food, culture, family, change, and growing old.
"Gran Torino" at 116 minutes was a bit long for me. Short and sweet (80-100 minutes) is best I think.
The DVD package was rather skimpy: two short extra features but no trailer/preview or commentary.
Overall, I think "Gran Torino" is a thoughtful film worth watching. I'm glad that Martha shared it with me.
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Links:
http://www.gordon.edu/article.cfm?iArticleID=898
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Written Sunday 15 May 2016
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Written Sunday 15 May 2016
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