human spirit sometimes has trouble dealing with change

Rating: 9/10 (7 February 2010)

Before I write this review I want to let everyone know I have an extreme bias for Clint Eastwood. I love his movies and I believe him to be one of the greatest actors of our time. That being said Gran Torino's overriding theme is how the human spirit sometimes has trouble dealing with change. The movie takes place in Highland Park, Michigan. The neighborhood used to be populated by middle class white families. The neighborhood has now falling into despair and is mostly populated by poor Asian families. The main character Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) has just lost his wife. He is a Korean War veteran that is having a hard time changing with the world around him. Walt can not relate to his son or his grandchildren. Walt feels that his neighborhood filled with a bunch of foreigners. One night Walt notices a light in his garage. Walt grabs his M-1 rifle and confronts his neighbor Thao (Bee Vang) as he is trying to steal Walt's prized Gran Torino. Walt lets Thao go and does not call the police. A few nights later a fight spills over into Walt's yard. It is Thao being confronted by the very gang that tried to make him steal the Grand Torino. Walt comes out of his house and runs the gang off with his M-1 rifle. The neighborhood sees Walt as a hero but in Walt's mind he would have never gotten involved if it would not have spilled over to his property. Thao's family makes him help a reluctant Walt work on the very car he tried to steal. As time goes on Walt begins to make a bound with Thao and decides to take him under his wing. As the movie moves along Walt finds out that he is terminally ill with cancer. The gang that tried to make Thao steal the car is becoming more violent towards Thao and his family. Walt decides to make a final stand against the gang in order to free Thao and his family from further persecution. Clint Eastwood uses a lot of close up shots that are shot from down low looking up. I think this does a great job in showing the characters emotions. Eastwood seems to do this a lot more with Walt's character. I believe he does this to make Walt look proud and almost heroic.
The theme to Gran Torino reminds me in many ways of an earlier Eastwood film Pale Rider. In Pale rider Eastwood is a loner that protects a family from violence and is willing to give his life in order to protect them In the end Walt finally comes to grips with the world around him. He comes to realize that there are still good people in the world although they look much different than Walt thought they would. Thao and his family have given Walt a great gift and I believe that he dies a happy man as he is given a purpose to live again.