On Gran Torino and Christ Eastwood

I liked Gran Torino. I really did. It was like wrapping myself up in an old blanket, as old as Clint himself, predictably warm, comforting as expected, reliable, and safe. As anticipated, the movie is something of a comedy, due in large part to an over-the-top performance by Eastwood, whose character, Walt Kowalski, a racist Korean War curmudgeon, is a living Dictionary of Outmoded Racial Slurs (welcome back, zipperhead!) and a grizzled, grumpy bear who actually growls when he's angry.

I didn't mind the stubborn determinism of the story either. Grandpa's such an outlandish racist that he MUST eventually befriend his little yellow neighbors and he MUST be transformed by that friendship and, therefore, he MUST gain redemption. Our friend Raymond mentioned Crash in his post about Gran Torino, which is a perfect comparison, another movie where the characters are simply chess pieces sailing across the board to their predetermined destinies -- redemption or damnation, with nothing in between.

All that said, the politics of this movie are seriously effed. It's not just that, once again, the Big White Dude teaches the Little Yellow Dude lessons in manhood (literally, in this instance, when Walt teaches Hmong teenager Thao how to curse and swagger and swing like a big dick). Or that the Big White Dude saves the Little Yellow Dude -- unable to protect himself or his family, of course -- and gets to be the hero. In Gran Torino, which has a lapsed-Catholic (that would be Walt) storyline running through it, the Big White Dude doesn't just get to be redeemed, he is the Redeemer.

(MAJOR SPOILER ALERT)

The Big White Dude saves the Little Yellow Dude not through violence, but through pacifism and sacrifice. He martyrs himself for the Little Yellow Dude (conveniently, the Big White Dude's also terminally ill, just so the audience, I suspect, doesn't think he's a total death-wishing lunatic). Just in case you missed that point, the Big White Dude is pumped full of bullets in the end, and falls dead to the ground in a crucifixion shape, his body, like Christ's, riddled with holes.

And, you know, I gotta problem with that. Is this a movie or is this missionary work? Because I don't need to be converted. I don't need to be saved. I don't need to be shown the Way, the Truth, and the Life by another White Savior, thank you very much, amen.

Comments

[gnomerroamer]

This movie was a horrible dogpile of stereotypes and hidden racism that only flatters viewers and reinforces an insanely superficial cultural myth of American idealism. In the past, I"ve liked Clint"s movies, but this one was vile from so many different angles, I seriously urge others not to see it. Not "boycott""just do not see this movie. Even from a moderate standpoint it is a pointless piece of junk with a meaningless, self-destructive conclusion. Even worse than the movie itself is everyone pretentiously trying to find meaning in it. Save your money.

[oustfan]

You're rejecting the movie because of the character's race? That's messed up.

It was a good movie.

[PazPraSempre]

to the people who say "watching the trailer was enough" -- It's not fair to criticize a movie when you have not even seen it. Trailers are about selling a film, and often resort to sensationalism or distort the true tone of the film to make it more exciting.
I disagree that this was the typical "White Savior." He doesn't seem to ever abandon his racism completely, and he at one point refers to himself as the White Devil. True, he saves the Hmong family in the end, but it is also about addressing his own demons that haunt him. I do realize that it would have been good to see the Hmong characters (who weren't part of the gang) take a more proactive role. I have to give Clint major props though for having an open casting call for members of the Hmong community instead of casting any Asian actors of any ethnicity.

[murderBYzeN]

at least it wasn't another liberal film that nobody will go watch...like we really need another propaganda flick about Nixon

[jalyn]

His characters were somewhat about helping the little guy. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

[dailyplanet]

I haven't seen the movie but I've seen the trailer and it was enough for me. Stop I say! Clint Eastwood's ego dominates every character he's played on screen¦whatever the part there"s something inside him that won"t let the audience forget he"s a "movie star." He was great in those early spaghetti westerns because the Italians had the right ironic take on the American Wild West. Better now Clint stays behind the camera, that's forum enough for his Hollywood view of the world as a Frank Capra-esque dump of simplistic morality. He takes himself so dead serious it's embarrassing to watch. He's a cultural icon all right and so be it. Being that he's so buff and physically polished for an elderly dude he looks more believable as a bronze statue anyway than a "man of the people" in the city of blue collar tragedy, Detroit.

[JimR]

You are free to stay home or see another movie. I can't wait to see it!

[AntiSocialite]

I think you may be reaching just a little here. The movie may have some symbolism, yes, but "missionary work," is just a tad hyperbolic. All in all I really liked it and would recommend to anyone.

Peace

[kalapa]

Watching the trailer was enough for me. Eastwood playing a caricature of his cowboy hero . Didn't even like his cowboy movies, but this takes the cake. Story line of saving the Asians, who he detests anyway: cringeworthy. His acting? Even more cringeworthy.

I guess this film is for white folks who like to see themselves as heroes, even though that era's gone, done with.

And Boblablah, this-not-liberal ideology? Is dead, pretty much buried. Get over it.

[JimR]

Your "review" based only on a trailer that's less than 5 minutes long? VERY cringeworthy.

[eclare]

I largely agree with your assessment of the movie, although I'm not so sure what you mean when calling the movie a missionary work. While the film is certainly chock full of cliches about racial and generational divides, I really didn't see much ideology behind the story.

What I liked about the movie was the way it showed Eastwood's character as someone who really understood death better than he did life. It was very much a Buffy the Vampire Slayer "death is your gift" type of moment that I found pretty interesting, although somewhat expected.

[BobLablah]

Are you disturbed by all movies that push an ideology or just the extremely rare movie that doesn't push a liberal ideology?