Gran Torino (2008)

Promising it would be his final acting role, Clint Eastwood goes out with a bang as a racist retiree who decides to clean up the neighborhood. A powerful and gripping ‘issues’ film, Gran Torino does not hold the key to solving the racial divide in America nor does it claim to. What it does deliver is a gritty, realistic look at gang-ridden suburbs and fantastic performances from all the major players.

Walt Kowalski is a hard man. His work on the Ford assembly line has left him with a gorgeous car, a 1972 Gran Torino, which he treasures. His upbringing and service during the Korean War has left him full of racist notions that he almost giddily dispenses in foul-mouthed tirades. The recent death of his wife has left him on his own. His children don’t care much for him, which is fine; he thinks they’re a bunch of selfish brats anyway. On top of it all, the neighborhood has gone to pot. Most of the homes once owned by ‘respectable’ white auto workers are now populated by low-income residents of Hmong descent.

After Walt catches the neighbor boy attempting to steal his beloved car, things change. To make up for his would-be crime, Thao Vang Lor works odd jobs for Walt, who puts him to good use fixing things and doing yard work around the neighborhood. When the Hmong gang that pressured Thao to steal Walt’s car start making their presence felt, Walt decides to push back in an attempt to protect Thao and his sister. The gang underestimates the ornery old man and matters escalate all the way to an explosive climax.

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first. Some aspects of the film are predictable. An old racist overcoming bigotry to care for his minority neighbors? Yeah, we’ve seen that before. Youth foolishly taking on a wily old soldier? Sure, it’s been done already in one form or another. The resolution? Most of you will see what’s coming a long ways off but there are enough surprises for you that keep the ending fresh. So there are a few weaknesses inherent to the story. Most of what Hollywood produces is at least partially derivative anymore (the fact that genres exist should tell you this).

It all comes down to the execution and, unless you’re an extreme cynic, Gran Torino will knock your socks off. If this truly is Clint Eastwood’s final time in front of the camera, it is a bittersweet swan song. Clint channels some of his most iconic curmudgeons to bring Walt Kowalski to life and never lags for a second. At 78 years old (during filming), Clint still has all the grit and spit necessary to dazzle you. He may have gone soft over the last decade but he never lost the acting chops that have made him a legend. This is full bore, hyper-masculine Clint freakin’ Eastwood. Anybody got a problem with that? Didn’t think so.

As hard and fierce as Kowalski is, it’s clear that Clint had a lot of fun with this role. On top of this, he has a reputation for being an actor’s director. He knows the craft and his passion certainly helped the supporting cast of unknowns step up to the plate and deliver. The younger leads don’t look like they are in over their heads next to Clint. In fact, they exude the acting confidence to take him head on. That is a hallmark to Clint’s ability to connect with and get the most out of his actors.

This is not a film for the faint of heart or for the politically correct. There is a fair amount of intensity and violence in Gran Torino. If you’re not prepared to see what havoc gangs can unleash, don’t watch this film. It might be wise to avoid this film if you are trying to shelter yourself from racial epithets- Eastwood’s Kowalski pretty much uses them all. You might even learn a few new ones to boot. As repugnant as Kowalski’s racism is, the absurd amount of derogatory remarks he throws out is actually amusing in an Archie Bunker kind of way. It’s been said that we laugh at what we don’t understand. Perhaps that’s why I found Kowalski hilarious- there’s absolutely no understanding the depths of his bigotry.

Gran Torino was critically praised yet passed over by the major award circuits. Part of me understands this because the film is loaded with clichés and predictability. But the way Clint takes all these perceived negatives and cranks out a powerful and emotional film worth watching is awe-inspiring. Perhaps no one wanted to honor his portrayal of the world’s biggest racist but the fact remains- Clint Eastwood rides off into the sunset having delivered one of the best performances in his career.

I think that everyone should see this film. Even if it makes you squeamish with its violence or shatters the shield of political correctness society tries to place over our ears, you will be better off having seen Gran Torino. Clint clearly has plenty of gas in the tank when it comes to acting, so it’s sad that this is his last acting role. Then again, how many actors get to go out on top quite like this?

RATING: 3.75 out of 5