Clint Eastwood shot Gran Torino (2008) in and around Detroit last summer in less than two months. In the film as completed, you can see Highland Park, Charlevoix Street and during the end credits, Lakeshore Drive, among other locales. The film is paced more like a novella than a short story, with enough space for exploring the impact of war and remembrance, cultural change, urban decay and resilience, religion, existential choice. There's a story, certainly (screenplay by Nick Schenk with "history buff'" Dave Johannson, who apparently wrote the original story line), but also room for Eastwood's ruminations, his preference for a "hand up vs. a handout," for people helping people so long as they try to better themselves in the process. Gran Torino works in many ways, from nuance to action. If the Father Janovich character is annoying, it's because he's callow, a needed counterpoint to the grizzled Eastwood character, Korean War vet Walt Kowalski, a retired Ford worker and widower who finds himself dealing with new Hmong neighbbors and his own past.
The Hmong are divided into two camps, those trying to forge something through work, and those in a youth gang. The gang represents, well, gangs, but may also represent all that is predatory in America and the world, greedy people who want to pillage and plunder, cow people into doing their will. Walt represents the belief that if you want to get something done, you have to work for it. Walt's surviving family, especially his grandchildren, represent all that's lazy, ignorant, disrespectful and rapacious about Americans. Meanwhile, everything's changing; interdependency has become more necessary for survival, more of a reality, whether you like it or not.
To Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen (compare a very different but equally philosophical Vicky Cristina Barcelona), two of the most important and thoughtful American filmmakers of our time, a fond salute!
Today's Rune: Joy.
9 comments:
I gotta watch this movie, read good reviews about it.
There is a Hmong community here but I've never heard of violence coming out of it.
Never thought of it before but you're right Erik on Eastwood's movies, A hand up not a hand out.
Erik, this is an excellent review - the best I've read! You really gave the essence a body, and you lifted the layers to show the underlying heart.
I loved this movie; and, of course, I recognized the few highlighted locations . . . the hardware store scene was shot in GPP on Kercheval while I was still living there. The barber scene was shot in Royal Oak (the town I fondly call "home," when I have one). And, Highland Park (another place I've set up camp!) And of course, Lakeshore drive - I love that drive!
Thanks for writing this - too bad the Academy snubbed him :(
I do want to see this. Will definitely get it on PPV when it comes out.
Thanks for the review! It's playing at the theater near my home. I think I'll try to catch it in the next week or so.
I liked the storyline, and the fact that Clint Eastwood kept it true to form; however, that baby-faced actor playing Father Janovich irritated me. I know the dialogue between him and Clint was supposed to be forced, but for whatever reason it didn't seem real (maybe the kid needs a few more acting lessons).
I enjoyed the movie and your review Erik. My cousin's burial service was at St. Ambrose and that was the last time I was in that church. Priest seemed young but real, my feeling anyways...MW
Hey Erik, Although I think both Clint and Detroit nailed the movie, I need to watch it again and not be so enamoured with both!! I have been curious of the Hmong people for years after reading that they settled in Wisc/Minn and Warren, Mich. All of these areas seem so unlikely.
Do you know about the Hmong and the city Vietnamese?
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