Gran Torino is a film that exemplifies an individual’s struggle within the ever-evolving society of modern America.
The film begins inside a church with the funeral of Walt Kowalski’s (Clint Eastwood) wife, Dorothy. Walt greets those that approach the casket to give their condolences. His grim, bitter-old man disposition is evident in the opening scenes. One could immediately assume that his demeanor is not solely a direct result of his wife’s passing. His emotional underpinnings are questionable and disquieting. This personality perplexity is unraveled when it is later explained that Walt is a Korean War veteran.
The funeral scene introduces a character that is prominent throughout the film: Father Janovich. As Father Janovich gives a profoundly dim eulogy about life and death, Walt sneers in disgust.
Following the funeral, people visit Walt’s home for lunch. There, Father Janovich presents himself to Walt mano y mano to outline his intentions. Janovich was close with Walt’s wife and explains to him that she wanted Walt to attend confession. Walt dismisses Father Janovich by stating that he is an overeducated, 27-year old virgin fresh out the seminary, and walks away. In this scene, it is made clear that Walt is forthright with everyone, including his two sons, which he disapproves of and doesn’t get along with. After lunch, people vacate and the storyline builds from this point.
The neighborhood in which Walt lives is occupied by many Hmongs. Walt’s neighbors, the Vang Lors-a Hmong family with two teenagers, a mother and a grandmother-always seem to irritate Walt. The grandmother speaks unfavorably about Walt constantly in her native tongue. Through Walt’s interactions, we realize that Walt is disconnected with the younger generation and subconsciously still stationed in Korea 1952. We later see that the teenage boy, Thao, and his sister, Sue, will be Walt’s connection with the young generation.
But in the relationship between these neighbors, conflict precedes concord.
The conflict between the neighbors is generated from a conflict within the veins of the Vang Lor bloodline. It all begins one day when Thao is walking down the street. As he walks, a Hispanic gang begins to harass Thao by calling him racial slurs, questioning his sex, and other things of demeaning nature. Thao’s cousin Spider and his Hmong gang see this and threaten the Hispanic gang with an Uzi. The Hispanic gang soil themselves and flees the scene. Spider and his gang begin to pressure Thao to join their gang in return for saving his tail. Thao refuses and makes on his way.
Later, Spider and his gang go to the Vang Lor household and continue to pressure Thao to join their gang. Thao eventually concedes. For his initiation, Thao is forced to do something that will trigger a chain reaction of problematic events; he is forced to steal Walt Kowalski’s 1972 Gran Torino.
Later that night, Walt is awakened from his sleep by noises from inside his garage. He immediately loads his shotgun and heads to the garage, prepared to waste the infiltrator. As Walt enters the garage, he points the shotgun at Thao’s face, driving him back until he runs away.
Spider and his gang return to the Vang Lor home the next night, and use physical force to make Thao finish his initiation. A fight breaks out, which causes a few elves on the Kowalski property to be destroyed. The next thing you know, Walt is pointing his shotgun at the gang members and telling them “Get off my lawn”. He says this in such a voice that will erect the hairs on your chinny chin chin. Spider and his friends are forced to retreat. The Vang Lors thank Walt repeatedly but Walt simply replies that he wants to be left alone.
Interjected between these incidents are the visitations of the persistent Father Janovich, bound to get Walt to confess. Walt continues to dismiss him, despite the father’s best efforts.
Walt’s birthday arrives amongst all the turmoil. There is a scene where he is sitting on the porch reading his paper. This scene is important because his horoscope in the paper says that extraordinary events will culminate at what may seem to be the anticlimax of his life. Walt dismisses this horoscope as he does Father Janovich and continues with his day. Later, as Walt is relaxing and drinking beer, Sue walks over and invites him to a barbecue that the Vang Lors are having. With it being his birthday, Walt feels inclined to accept her offer. It is at this barbecue where he meets many of the Hmongs, speaks with the family, begins to accept their culture, loosens up a little with Thao, and gets interpreted by a shaman. The shaman interprets Walt as not being “at peace”, which has implications for further along in the film.
Some days after, Thao, Sue, and their mother approach Walt and make a proposition to have Thao work for Walt for his attempted grand theft auto. Initially, Walt refuses his services downright. But after Sue insists and explains that a refusal of their proposition would be an insult to their family and their tradition, Walt agrees.
Thao begins work at Walt’s home the next day and everyday after that for two weeks. Walt and Thao unintentionally bond through the work, and eventually become friends. Sue also becomes close with Walt, and they begin all hanging out together. They conversate about many things, like how Thao needs to get a job to pay for school. When his second week of work nears completion, Walt gets Thao into the construction circuit, for which he has connections.
One day after Thao is returning home from a day of work at the construction site, his cousin Spider and his gang jump him and burn a cigarette into his cheek. After Walt sees this, he pays a visit to the member who got cigger trigger happy with Thao, and gives him the lambasting of a lifetime. This doesn’t seem to have much effect though, because later the whole gang brutally shoots up the Vang Lor home. Why they shoot up the home of Spider’s relatives and not Walt’s is unexplained. Fortunately, the aftermath is only a minor neck injury to Thao. Unfortunately, Sue, who was not home at the time, returns home later battered and raped.
This leads to a final confrontation.
Walt, enraged by these vicious acts, plots revenge against the assailants. He prepares himself, and then departs to the gang’s place of occupancy. The gang spots Walt from inside and each one emerges from various crannies of the house to point their guns at him. One would assume Walt had some sort of plan for defeating this pack of “gooks” as he so frequently and eloquently identifies them as. After he cautiously reaches for a cigarette, he quickly grabs what turns out to be a lighter from his pocket, and the gang opens fire. And there on their front lawn, Walt Kowalski lays, brutally murdered. The end.
Just kidding….among all the commotion, the neighbors see all of this happen and report it to the police, resulting in the incarceration of each and every gang member. So Walt did indeed have a plan.
His plan-to abolish the filth that plagued his friends, the Vang Lors -was the climax of Walt Kowalski’s life. Having enacted this plan, Walt is at peace.
The movie concludes with the funeral procession, which Father Janovich gives the eulogy for, and the declaration of Walt’s will. Thao Vang Lor gets the 1972 Gran Torino.
I enjoyed Gran Torino a lot. Clint Eastwood is tremendous in it. He is the director, producer, and star of the film. His candid quips and racial slurs incite much hilarity. The only negative aspect of the film was the acting of the Vang Lors. Thao and Sue could have been more convincing in many scenes. Additionally, Father Janovich was quite contradictory. One doesn’t have to be “fresh out the seminary” to know priests aren’t supposed to use God’s name in vain.
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