Final encore

Gran Torino is an uneven film – there are moments both emotionally absorbing and mildly boring, and while the underlying plot has a lot of substance, many elements are attenuated in the execution. Regardless, it features Clint Eastwood’s final cinematic performance in a lead role (as is reported by media), and the sheer intensity of his character makes this film worth watching.

The 78 years old Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, an unapologetically politically-incorrect veteran of the Korean War. He is a total outcast, living in solitude in a neighborhood increasingly occupied by Asians (which he has nothing but the utmost disdain initially). His relationship with his family is a train-wreck – he has nothing to say to his two sons, and in return they are only thinking about how to inherit his house and send him to an elderly home. Walt’s only remaining trophy from life is his vintage 1972 Gran Torino, which lends the film its title and is the premise for Walt’s unlikely friendship with his Asian neighbors.

The family living next door is Hmong immigrants from Asia, which the film describes as having moved to the US to survive communist persecution after supporting the losing side in the Vietnam war. Thao, the quiet and introvert teenage boy from the family, and his sister Sue, run into trouble with the local Hmong gang (his cousins), and gets rescued by Walt on several occasions. Walt, who is literally 「Dirty Harry – twenty years later」 in those scenes, seems to be less interested in helping his neighbors than simply keeping some shady characters off his front porch. However a genuine friendship is formed in the process, which shapes Walt’s beliefs and removes some of his prejudice. The majority of the film dwells on Walt’s relationship with Thao and Sue and how they interact with the local gang.

Without discussing too much of the plot – suffice to say there is a significant twist for the climax – I think it’s fair to say that Gran Torino had a lot of potential in its source material (it touches on a slew of social and spiritual issues) but the result is decidedly mixed. The film’s narrative suffers from dramatic changes in pace and mood. At times the film feels like a slow comedy, while there are also moments where you would not be far off by terming it Dirty Harry 6. (I am generally very against such practices, as it makes the film as a whole fairly inconsistent in tone and style – though this is just my personal preference.)

While the plot is somewhat meddling, Eastwood’s character shines through. Walt is symbolically very 「Eastwood」. It is perhaps the type of character that Eastwood has played all his life, from his roles in spaghetti westerns to Dirty Harry to 威廉 Munny of Unforgiven. It is the role of the quintessential social outlier, the rogue who swims against the tides, the person who embodies the traditional virtues lost by society. Even 「the man with no name」, the quietly sarcastic and materialistic protagonist of the Dollars trilogy, was at heart a big softie with lots of compassion and empathy.

After more than 50 years in the film business, Eastwood has long mastered his art. His on-screen presence is subtle but dominating, and his worn-out voice is captivating. And he doesn』t miss any chances to impress – as the credits appear, it’s Eastwood’s voice in the eponymous song of the film, written by none other than Eastwood himself.

In this sense, you could argue that Gran Torino is a final encore of Eastwood’s acting career. It may feel very much like a monologue, but it’s nonetheless a fascinating one. It will likely be fondly remembered as this screen legend’s final bow.

7/10
http://www.dani19.com/2009/01/21/gran-torino-2008/