Gran Torino, The Movie

I went to the movies again saw the movie Gran Torino starring and directed by Clint Eastwood at my favorite movie theater, The Warren Theater, here in Moore, Oklahoma.

In the movie, Clint Eastwood plays a disgruntled racist Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski. Walt is a racist grumpy old man who tells to a local gang to “Get off my lawn”. He is the only American left in his run down neighborhood where the old neighbors have either died or moved away and have been replaced by an Asian community. Walt sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Asian immigrant teenager named Thao. Thao tries to steal his prized possession as a gang initiation, a 1972 Gran Torino, which he installed the steering system in as a factory line worker at the Ford Plant. Walt catches Thao in the act, bringing shame to the family. To pay off the debt, Thao begins working for Walt  and in the process, Thao learns to grow up and be a man.

Walt rescues the neighbor Asian girl, Sue who is the sister of Thao, from harassment by a couple of black teenagers and ends up being friends. Thao & Sue’s home is shot up by a drive by shooting from the same gang that has be harassing Thao. Sue was not there at the time but the gang finds her and then beats and rapes her. Walt is very disturbed by this and plans his revenge.

In the end, Walt decides to sacrifice his life to put the neighborhood gang in jail for life so Thao and Sue can grow up and live their life’s in peace. You see, Walt is also in the process of dying as he is always spitting up blood. Probably cancer from his smoking and chewing tobacco. So he feels like he has nothing to lose by giving up his life to save his friends.

I found this movie to be an excellent movie. It does have a lot of bad words and slang words that you might not want to hear but they are needed to setup the story. I highly recommend that you see the movie. Clint’s acting and directing is outstanding and well worth an Oscar!

Jerry J. Jansen