My View on Gran Torino

The American drama film Gran Torino produced by Clint Eastwood in 2008 is the first mainstream American film to feature the Hmong Americans. As Chinese, after seeing this movie I was moved by the old white American Walt Kowalski. He has changed some old views in my mind about the white American that treat the Asian Americans. I used to think the white Americans look down the colored people in their country and won’t protect the rights of the colored people, let alone to die for them. The attitudes of Walt at the beginning of the film really suit my thoughts, but with the development of the plot, I was really surprised by what Walt’s behaviors toward Thao, and his family, the Hmong people. He didn’t show his superiority as a white American but try his best to protect these people, even to save their spirits.

I will have a brief introduction of this movie—Gran Torino. Walt Kowalski, a retired worker of ford factory who has recently been lost his wife and lives with his dog, Daisy in the Detroit where his neighborhood is the poor Asian immigrants. His personality is very gruff and cold, and he does not like to be disturbed. His was a soldier during the Vietnam war and still been haunted by the memory of killing the enemy young soldiers. His neighbor is the Hmong family. Thao Vang Lor who is one member of his neighbor try to steal his Gran Torino as the first initiation into the gang hold by his cousin, spider. However, Walt finds it and stops it. Thao then does not want to join the gang, but his cousin still border him. It’s Walt who saves him, and as a return, Thao works for me and Walt let him do some odd things of neighbors. Meanwhile Walt gives Thao advice of how to dating and getting a job. They developed a harmonious relationship. However his cousin’s gang does a revenge by drive-by shooting on Thao’s house and raping his sister Su. Then Thao asks Walt’s help to revenge and Walt asks him to come at the afternoon. In fact at that time, Walt has made a decision that he can’t let Thao gain the trouble feeling that always around him. So Walt locks Thao in his basement and confront the gang alone. Walt knows that kill them isn’t the only way to solve this problem and he enrages them by shouting loudly so that the neighbors can notice that thing and can be witness as well. Then he put his hand in the pocket as if he were taking the gun, so the gang people shoot them at the same time.

His funeral is held by father Janovich who always asks Walt to the church to give a confession. I think father Janovich may recognize the reason way Walt do not like go to the church for the confession because he always know his sins and know what is the right thing to redemption. It turns out as expected that Walt gives Thao his Gran Torino and goes his house to the church.

We can find some deep moral spirits through this movie, as a soldier who knows the suffering of the war, which may arise us to keep the world peace and to know that killing is not something of venting but a sin. What’s more, the younger, the adults should give more advice to lead them to the right way and shape the right views on world. Walt’s death also can tell us the way of revenge can be various, trying not to harm ourselves again during the revenge. However ,we can also find one weak of America society is the family relationship, I think the treatment of Walt can prove the problem, the lonely of the old is really a big social issues.

 

第二篇：Gran Vals