When "Gran Torino" was released in 2008, it was advertised as Clint Eastwood's swan song, his final film as an actor. Many people considered the performance the best in his long career, putting heart and pathos to his "Dirty Harry" persona he made popular since the 70s.
I saw "Gran Torino" in the theatre when it was first released, I've seen all of Eastwood's films he's directed at least since his masterpiece "Unforgiven" in 1992, I love his no frills style, he's able to strip away his films to the bare minimum, while younger filmmakers are making rock and roll, it's as if he's strumming along on a jazz guitar, slow and steady but making every second count. Eastwood's films never seem to be in a hurry to make it to their destination, but the urgency of the story is there, and he always has something to say.
"Gran Torino" has all the elements of a classic Eastwood story and shares many similarities to another one of his great films "Million Dollar Baby". The story is rather old fashioned and in lesser hands could've come off as cliche; it's the story of Walt (Eastwood) a recent widower and old crank who lives alone in a multi-cultural neighbourhood. Walt is very old school, he served in Korea and has seen his share of action; he's more or less alienated from his two sons who can't seem to talk to him, and he has nothing but contempt for his grandchildren who don't seem to show any respect.
Walt also isn't crazy about living next door to a Chinese family, he doesn't hide his prejudices, and he has no problem speaking his mind, even if it falls under not being politically correct.
Things change however one fateful night when Walt inadvertently gets involved with his neighbour's lives. When Walt scares away some gang members who are trying to recruit the son of the family, they become eternally grateful. The family later drops food and other items of gratitude at Walt's front door, and they don't stop even when he shouts he doesn't want any of their help.
Walt's heart soon softens when the daughter of the family Sue approaches him and is not deterred by his attitude. She invites him over for a barbecue and where he also meets Tao (Bee Vang), the young boy who the gang was trying to recruit.
As punishment for trying to steal Walt's Gran Torino, his family sends him over to work for him. It's here where the story goes into familiar territory where the aged Walt teaches Tao how to be a man, and the two begin to bond. However hovering beyond the pleasantness is the fact that Tao isn't given much of a chance of a normal life with the gang hellbent on recruiting him.
I'm not exactly sure what I felt when I first saw "Gran Torino", it was a Clint Eastwood film, and I thought maybe I was falling under the spell of what I was supposed to expect from his movies, perhaps I was blinded a bit, despite all the good press it was getting I wasn't sure it deserved all the praise, so I decided to see it again.
In many ways "Gran Torino" works as just a terrific old fashioned story, the elements are there to make it all irresistible. For me it does fall short of being a masterpiece, and that I think it becomes a little too aware of itself. Eastwood is known for his subtle direction, he doesn't try to wow us with big camera techniques that draw attention to itself, he puts his trust to the material and the acting. With "Gran Torino" perhaps Eastwood was trying to stretch himself by hiring some unprofessional actors in the pivotal roles of Tao and Sue, and unfortunately it works against him, particularly when they must share the screen with Eastwood who has made Walt into one of his all time enduring characters.
It is indeed Eastwood's performance that makes this film work, and why he is so admired. Eastwood like Walt I imagine is a man who has his own value system, he is no-nonsense but comes with great wisdom. I think the reason we root for Walt is his value system and their is a certain dignity in that, he lives by a certain code, and from his early days working with Sergio Leone, all of his characters live by one.
Eastwood is now in his late seventies, and his films seem to take on a different tone than his earlier ones, and you can sense through Walt's final gesture in the film what Eastwood now believes and it is here that the film strays away from cliche and becomes something more thoughtful and moving.
There are problems with "Gran Torino", which just puts it below perfect for me, however I wouldn't be surprised if this film turns out to be Eastwood's most beloved film, and the one he could be most remembered for. Even the catchphrase "Get off my lawn" in the film has the power to follow "Go ahead, make my day."
I'm not sure if "Gran Torino" is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, but it is good Hollywood entertainment with one of the last real stars showing off what makes him so enduring after all these years, I wouldn't be surprised if my admiration for the film will grow each time I see it.
No comments:
Post a Comment