Great film Starring and Directed by Clint Eastwood

Rating: Null/10 (12 December 2010)

Gran Torino (2008)
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Written by Dave Johannson and Nick Schenk
Starring Clint Eastwood, Christopher Charley, Bee Vang, and Aheny Her
In Gran Torino Clint Eastwood portrays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran living alone after the death of his wife. The home they spent their life in sits in a neighborhood which has changed over the years and now is full of oriental emigrants. Walt is a gruff, angry, bigoted man alienated from his family and discussed by the people living around him. Enter Thao played by Bee Vang. Thao is a young man looking for his place in the world. Torn between what he thinks he should do and being pressured to join a street gang. His initiation is to steal Walt's prize 1972 Gran Torino muscle car. After Walt catches him, his family makes Thao work for Walt to pay him back for bringing dishonor to the family. Slowly over time Walt becomes involved with the lives of Thao and his sister Sue Played by Ahney Her. In the process Walt learns to overcome his bigotry, at least toward the people he has befriended. This involvement leads to him being at odds with the gang that wants Thao to join and the emotional climax of the film. The themes of overcoming generational racism in the case of Walt and that of finding ones place in society in the case of Thao are woven together to form a great story. Walt is a product of his time, he will always have his ingrained knee-jerk reaction to other races but on a small scale he is able to see the good in others when he is thrown in with them and comes to know them. He is a good man who lived his life in a society which routinely distrusted and disliked people of other races and national origins. Even with his ingrained feeling he still cannot just watch when Sue is accosted on the street by thugs. Thao is a young man looking for his place in a bad situation without a father figure to guide him. His unlikely bonding with Walt leads to him becoming a better person and tempering Walt's racist tendencies. I was really not interested in this film at first but after watching it I found that it an excellent film which was very relatable. I think most people have at least one Walt in their family. You can't make excused for them but you can understand why they are the way they are.