«Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with?» Clint Eastwood’s character says to some hooligans who are about to beat up a girl. “Well that’s me”, he adds before he pulls up his gun.
Gran Torino is a movie about redemption and helping others. It tells the story about a man named Walt Kowalski, a cranky old retired Korean War veteran, who recently lost his wife. The movie focuses on the relationship Walt develops with his Hmong neighbours. Walt literary and figuratively saves the life of the boy next door, Thao.
The centre piece of the film is Walt’s Gran Torino, which symbolizes his greatness. To Thao, the boy Walt lends a helping hand to, the car is the very turning point of his life because trough failing to steal the car Thao gets to know Walt. Walt’s turning point in the movie is hard to decide, but the scene where he lends his car to Thao for his date, is a great example of Walt’s change. This shows that Walt truly cares about Thao, since he is willing to let Thao use something that he nearly looks upon as holy. It is also Thao who inherits the car in the end, and not a family member. Some may think of it as strange, but really it just shows the significance Thao had to Walt. It was Thao and his family who showed Walt the joys in life after his wife’s death.
As Walt gets to know Thao and his family, especially Thao’s sister Sue, he realises that he has more in common with his neighbours than his own family. This is probably because Walt relates more to their tradition and values than to the typical American society. He can’t stand the way his grandchildren and other teenagers behave, especially towards the elderly, while the Hmong people are much more “old fashioned” that way.
In the end Thao, Sue and their family have made a greater impact on Walt then they realise as Walt ends up sacrificing his life in order to help them. He sees this as the only solution to get the gang away from Sue and Thao so that they have the opportunity to get away and start a better life. Walt might be right as it seems like his actions made Sue and Thao reconsider the value of life.
Gran Torino is a great movie with an important message and filled with inspiration. Not only does Gran Torino illustrate the importance of helping others, but it also paints a picture of a basic culture crash and communication problems. Walt has problems at first understanding the Hmong culture, but as he gets to know his neighbours he understands that in a way they are no different than him.
I think that’s very important, that in a world which is so connected in so many levels we have to keep an open mind, because for all we know the neighbours with the funny accent and the strange clothes are no different than us.
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PS! If you want to learn more about the hmong people, read this article.
You have such a personal way of writing, I think that's so great! I enjoy reading your posts because you have really good structure and a good flow in your writing. I wish you would write a little about Walt's sickness, but all in all, this is super Maya!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blogpost Maya. You have some great points, and I especially liked the way you mentioned Thao's impact on Walt's Life. You also linked the trailer which was a good idea, and a link to read and learn more about the Hmong people. You describe the movie very good and I totally agree in that the movie actually has two main messages:)
ReplyDeleteI very much liked the way you presented the whole movie in this blog post. You summed up the movie in a good and interesting way, and I think a person who has not already seen it, would feel tempted to watch it after reading this. You also made a lot of good points about the Gran Torino and the Hmong family and culture!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great blogpost, Maya! i found it very interesting. I especialy liked the beginning of the post, where you presented Walt. I also think you described the movie in a good way, and had some good reflection on the topic.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very good and interesting blog post! You write very well, and have some great points of view. The movie is presented well and I liked how you started the blog post with a quote from Walt. It shows how he was in the beginning of the movie, and then you explain how he developes throughout the movie:)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
Some great comments here! I liked they way you started the post with the quote from Walt! He was a mean guy when he wanted to. But in the end he was a great guy just like you say. And I agree with you, if you open your mind and get to know different people you will learn a lot and grow in life!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good blogpost, witch I found it interesting to read. I liked the way you were reflecting over the movie, and you sum up the movie very well. You also included some very important points about the relationship between Walt and his neighbors.
ReplyDeleteYes, It's a goog movie! I remomended.
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