The film for the modern world *Spoilers*

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2012)

I don't usually make reviews, but this is a movie that makes me do just that. I finally had the chance to see this on Blu-Ray, and I was completely touched.
This is easily the best movie I've seen in the last 5 years; I'd put The Dark Knight above it and that's all. Eastwood truly gives an incredible performance, and I felt sympathetic with every point his character was making and the overall message of this movie.
Obviously this movie turned off a lot of people due to the racial slurs and all that, but I look past all that and when you get down to it, he is not a racist, but rather someone who is simply not completely understanding the 21st century USA, and 21st century USA (the sons and grand kids) not understanding him. He's an old school tough good ole boy, and there aren't many of those left. He grew up in an era where Americans bought American-branded cars, kids respected elders, families actually got together for reasons other than wanting something (like money or possession gains) from you, teenagers didn't carry assault weapons with 5,000 rounds, gangs didn't control entire neighborhoods and cities, etc... just simple things like that which seem to be all but lost in today's world. I cannot say how much that aspect of the movie touched me. To me, Walt was not offensive; the way his family and the kids acted towards him, is the real offense here.
To me, this film summarizes the modern USA. As a 32 year old Generation X member, even I can't relate hardly at all to people barley 5-15 years younger than me. Try to talk to them and you'll be told to wait until they're done updating their Facebook status or their latest twitter update on the goofball who messed up their order in the Wendy's drive thru, while driving their Honda/Toyota/BMW in the process.
Walt's generation built Detroit into one of the country's proudest cities, and Walt is now watching his sons and grandsons commute in cars designed and built by foreign countries. Result? Detroit is now crumbling and filled with everything BUT the cars made by the Big 3, not to mention the gun-wielding gangs around every other block. As he said, would it really kill you to buy American? (and don't start the crap about some of them having factories here; if Toyota built a car in my back yard and I bought it, the money still goes back to Japan; if Ford built a car in Antarctica and I bought it, it still helps the USA more) A worker at a plant in Korea was once interviewed about having a job at a factory building some American car, can't remember the model, and he said he was happy to have the job, BUT he said he will still buy a Hyundai or Kia. When they asked why, he said, I feel it is important to support my home country's products. Go across the ocean to the USA, and we could care less about that way of thinking it seems.
All in all, it's a car movie; a look at our modern world; a look at the generational gap between elders, sons, and their own sons.
Some people didn't like the ending. I thought it made perfect sense. Walt knew he was dying after his coughing up blood and visits with the doctor. He then came up with a truly brilliant plan; make as much noise as possible, get the attention of many witnesses, get the kids to draw their guns and gun kill him, and the gang is off the streets.
Does anyone think Walt's sons or that snotty granddaughter would have made such a sacrifice? And don't forget to stick it to your family who has made it clear they couldn't care less about you other than that to try to get your car or your house from you.
That is Gran Torino in a nutshell.
People really need to see this movie and take a look at how they are treating each other: family members, next door neighbors, and just total strangers. Maybe if we'd lift our head up from our Ipod screens for a few minutes and just go sit on the porch and get to know the people we see moving in next door, we might get to know them; and if we get to know them, regardless of age, color, background, or religion, we might begin to understand each other; and if we begin to understand each other, we'll be more sympathetic and caring; and if we begin to act more sympathetic and caring, this country will change.
Great job by Clint Eastwood.