Eastwood's "Gran Torino" Typical, But For Eastwood Himself

KALAMAZOO, Mich.--It's been said that Clint Eastwood portrays much the same character in many of the films he has appeared in over his many years as an actor. For much of his career, this has been true. As "Dirty Harry" in the five films of the 70s and 80s featuring that character, "The Man With No Name" in Sergio Leone's trilogy of 1960s spaghetti westerns, and other westerns such as "Hang 'Em High" (1968), Eastwood has shown himself to be the iconic tough guy who lets his gun do most of the talking. In his 2008 film, "Gran Torino," he opts to show a different side. 

The film, which Eastwood directed, produced, and starred in, is the story of Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) a recently bereaved veteran of the Korean War, and his interactions with the world around him. Kowalski's world - his neighborhood - has in recent years shifted from a white demographic to a neighborhood filled with Hmong immigrants. While the world around him has undergone significant alterations, Walt himself has not. "Gran Torino" thus becomes an attempt to show Walt's changes in his changing world. 

From the beginning of the film, Kowalski's resistance to change is made apparent. In the opening scene at his wife's funeral, he's so stiff and rigid he could almost be the one in rigor mortis. He is shown to be the typical grumpy old man, who disapproves of his granddaughter's appearance and attitude at the funeral, his sons, and how his entire world is shifting under his feet, through the influence of the Hmong immigrants. There's even a scene where he yells at a group of young people to get off his lawn. He expresses his disdain through a great deal of swearing and racist comments. It seems Walt disapproves of nearly everything. 

This does begin to change, about halfway through the movie. A young immigrant, Thao Lor (Bee Vang), under pressure to join a Hmong gang, attempts to steal Kowalski's prized Gran Torino. Kowalski thus begins his relationship with Thao and later, his sister, Sue (Ahney Her). His overriding sense of justice leads him to help the two, including scenes where Walt rescues Sue from harassment and Thao from being abducted by the gang. These two lead him into change, and eventual hero status in the neighborhood. 

It may seem that a lot's been said about Eastwood's role in this film - and with good reason. Eastwood's acting is what makes the movie worth watching. His gravelly voice and veteran acting skills make his performance excellent. While Christopher Carley puts in a decent performance as the priest who's attempting to redeem Kowalski, the film suffers from poor acting on the part of the two actors who portray Thao and Sue. Nothing else in the film stands out at all, and overall, it is throughly mediocre compared with other more recent Eastwood movies, such as his "Unforgiven." See it, if at all, only for Eastwood's masterful performance. 

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