A Man's Burden

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2009)

Gran Torino is one of those films that are impossible to judge objectively; there are very obvious flaws - the acting of every major character except for Clint's, for one - and yet as a whole, it is still another fine chapter in Clint Eastwood's "Encyclopedia of Manhood", a project he has been systematically working on for almost half a century. The Man with No Name, Dirty Harry, an assortment of soldiers and convicts and eccentrics, and now, the bitter and isolated war veteran Kowalski, all seem to belong to the same mythology, a very compelling narrative about the limits of heroism, and our perception of the ideal man, the protector and the avenger.
In that sense, Clint Eastwood continues doing something old-fashioned, something uninterrupted by current trends and ideas and something utterly uninterested in modern sensitivities: his Walt Kowalski is in turns, aggressive, patronizing, insensitive, politically incorrect, blunt and offensive. Yet we are drawn, from the very beginning, compelled to admire his unyielding self-reliance, his work ethic, his blue-collar simplicity and patriotism; a man's man, a drinker and a smoker, good with his hands, ready to protect his own and have a laugh with old friends.
Clint Eastwood is a clever film maker and it is obvious that much comedy and self parody is intended. But make no mistake; this is no self-referential, satirical or parodical piece of work. It is somber and dead serious and unrelenting as a study in the ethics of duty.
And of course, Clint Eastwood is probably the only actor out there, who can be a believable action hero at 78. The guy doesn't age, everything redundant melts away as he turns into carved stone. In the final shoot out with Death, all that will be left of him, will be that sinewy arm clutching a pistol, a steely narrow slit for eyes and a scowl.