GRAN TORINO [2008] review

GRAN TORINO is a masterpiece.  It is as American a film as I’ve ever seen.  I truly love it.  Clint Eastwood is a master filmmaker and an incredible actor.  While watching GRAN TORINO at first I thought my opening line to this review would be my reiteration that Clint Eastwood is the biggest badass in the history of the world bar none.  But that would not respect the film enough.  That would not respect Clint enough.  That would not respect the incredible acting by the Hmong actors in the film enough.  

GRAN TORINO is an American masterpiece film.  It combines the old school and the old guard with two present aspects of America, the optimism and brightness of its youth and the plague of gangs of its youth.

Clint is of course the old school, the old guard.  Clint’s character is the granite definition of ornery.  He evens says the classic ornery line, “get off my lawn!”  And I promise you, I promise you, it has never been said with more conviction.  

Tough as nails.  I have never seen a tougher man than Clint Eastwood.  His character of Walt Kowalski is as tough as they come, though he can admit there are tougher men.  The expressions on Clint’s ornery face, the way he moved.  The way he groaned in disgust.  I loved the character from the first frame.  

He and I are a lot a like, somewhat still stuck in the 1950s mind set.  The character of Walt is a Man’s man.  I respect that a lot.  When Thao, the Hmong boy who lives next door, asks Walt how did he get all the tools in his garage, Walt qualifies it with something I always, always think myself, “I can’t afford all that.”  Walt answers reassuringly, “These things are accumulated over 50 years.”

Like Thao, I never really had a father, and like him, I was drawn to the strength and male role model that Walt’s character was.  There is this simple truth that exists, a boy needs a father.  If you don’t have one of your own, then you spend your whole life looking for substitutes.  

The story goes that Walt doesn’t like anything or anyone.  His neighbors, Thao and his sister, mother and grandmother are good people with some bad, i.e. gang member cousins.  Walt and Thao’s family come to find comfort with each other’s company in some of the sweetest scenes you’ll ever see on screen.  Very touching, especially if you are a little bit ornery yourself.  

I cannot say more about the story, except that you will be moved.  Very moved.  

It would be a great honor for me to be able to shake Clint Eastwood’s hand.  A great honor.  I would just like to shake his hand and tell him, “Thank you, sir.”

Even the end credits were a masterpiece.  I’ve never seen credits that didn’t fade to a black background at some point.  I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen, only turning away when the final frame faded from my vision. 

Go see GRAN TORINO.  

I have spent time with Hmong people in Vietnam.  They are to whom I would escape if the World went to naught.

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