Gran Torino Differences

Walt was our father figure. We both respected and feared him. He ran the studio as a sort of benevolent and paternal dictatorship. He was the total boss. You learned early on never to argue with him or to cross him. Walt might be harsh or egocentric, but we all knew he was a genius whose tough demeanor seemed to stimulate and bring out the best in all of us. Even though he was prone to badger and bully us at one time or another, we knew that Walt had revolutionized the animated cartoon,

The aim of this paper is to study the interpersonal communication taking place in a cultured shocked neighborhood. The findings of these studies are applied to the film Grand Torino. In addition, this study will discuss the communication styles applied by the characters of the movie. I believe they are essential to understanding the reasons why in general individuals are racists, stereotypical and unable to adapt to different cultures as well as living with those who are different to us. We will first examine how Walt’s character adapts to the cultural

Finally, one of the most important moral values a human being can possess is selflessness. It is when a person puts someone else’s needs before their own. In Gran Torino, one of the most heartfelt and saddest moments was when Walt sacrificed his life for Thao and the neighbourhood. He knew that if Thao went after his

The film explores the possibility of redemption, “second chances”, and the hope that comes from having a positive future. Both Walt and Thao experience redemption in the film. Walt is saved from the guilt of a murderous past as a soldier and the disappointment of broken relationships within his own immediate family. Ultimately, Walt finds “peace” with himself, with others and with God. Walt’s young neighbour, Thao is rescued from a future of crime and violence, and the shame of attempted theft. Ultimately, Thao gains a future as a hard-working, respectable American citizen and man. It is evident from the beginning of the movie that Walt has a hard-line attitude towards the church, which is partly because of the pain and torment he experienced from Korea. Walt exhibits strong racial slurs as he had strong racial prejudices, also mainly because of the 50’s style of thinking he has and likewise from the time in Korea, as this is how they talked to them. It is symbolic as he still thought and spoke like that back after the war, showing the audience that he is still at war, not with the Koreans, but with himself.

Walter is a very important character and impacts everybody by his actions and what he says and does. Walter changes a lot throughout the story. He begins to become very hostile and short tempered towards his family. He starts to lose all his family values and only starts to worry and care about the check that is coming in. He says, “did it come?” “will somebody please listen to me today!!!” This shows that he wants everyone to listen to his idea about what he wants to do with the money. While he wants this, he shows no care or regard to anyone else’s ideas or thoughts about it. The quotes show how selfish and rude he is, also it shows how he has lost of all his family’s values because he won’t even listen to anybody else.

As a former soldier that promptly follows the saying “Shoot first, ask questions later”, we introduce you to Walt Kowalski, a stubborn curmudgeon that was on the front lines in the Korean War throughout the 1950’s. Walt led a compelling life, after being assigned in the Korean War — representing the U.S and aiding South Korea. Walt acquired a medal for being the sole survivor of a critical ambush attack on enemy nests. Although the Korean War is still in effect, the immediate conflict started to dissipate and American troops were discharged from their post in Korea. Subsequent to the war, Walt quickly became an employee at Ford and learned how to be an expert at repairing appliances or cars. Throughout his time as a Ford employee, he purchased his vintage car that is famously known as the “Gran Torino”.

Relationship between Walt and Lor family In the film, there are many scenes that show Walt sitting at his front porch alone while the next-door Asian neighbor having a family gathering. These scenes probably demonstrate the most apparent difference among individualistic and collective cultures where Western cultures are prone to individualism and Asian cultures are prone to collectivism (p. 45). This cultural difference brings about the situation where Walt did not get along with the Lor family at first.

He is envious of the people in the establishment who can afford a higher standard of life, while he is stuck in a two room kitchen apartment, where they must share one bathroom with rest of the floormates. Walter hate seeing man around his age or even younger than him having such a lavish lifestyle because he believes that he would gotten the same type of opportunity if it was not for the color of his skin. Seeing his conversations with his mom, the readers can see that Walter feels that he is hopeless in the American

Gran Torino is a film, released in 2008, that was both directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. The cast featured Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, a white, Korean War veteran who is very set in his ways, Bee Vang as Thao Lor and Ahney Her as Sue Lor, Walt’s Hmong neighbors, Christopher Carley as Father Janovich, the priest with whom Walt’s wife was very close, Sonny Vue as Smokie, a Hmong gang member, and Doua Moua as Spider, the cousin of Sue and Thao and the leader of the Hmong gang. The movie is set in current day Detroit, Michigan and does a good job in presenting the scene and language in a way that does represent the current role racism has in society. The target audience of the movie is anyone over the age of 17 anywhere in the world.

The surface of Gran Torino is a film about a car enthusiast and his dysfunctional racist lifestyle. Unable to find a bond between his sons and rather to spend afternoons with Daisy and put to death his liver. The heart of this film is

"Gran Torino" tackles racism head on. Although the main character Walt Kowalski, played by Clint Eastwood, is prejudiced against almost everyone, the film focuses on an Asian neighborhood, uncovering racism and violence. The neighborhood has gone down hill since it has become immigrant-dominated. The house next door is now owned by a Hmong family, a widespread South-east Asian minority, and Walt does not trouble to distinguish them from the Koreans he fought in the 1950s. Throughout the film, we learn Walt had to kill many Koreans as part as his duty as a soldier during that period of time. The film takes a twist when the bitter old war veteran's life takes an unexpected turn after Thao, a shy, teenage boy who lives next door to Walt is bullied by his

Another development of power can be seen in the male leads in both of the texts, in the form of what it means to be a male, including times where both men didn’t align with this stereotype. Eastwood presented characters that followed typical masculine characteristics, whether it be a main or minor addition. Notably, Walt held onto his possessions, such as the Gran Torino and his tools, that he controlled and was clearly protective of, as he only shared them with Thao. Additionally, he utilised fear tactics and aggression when stopping the gang from hurting Sue, claiming “I am that person that you don’t mess with”, before threatening them. Similarly, the barber is highlighted as a masculine figure; conversing with Walt with confidence and power, that mocked the less masculine Thao in his attempts. Similarly, Scrooge also acts in a protective way, refusing to share his wealth and constantly working to put himself in a higher position in society.

The film explores the possibility of redemption, “second chances”, and the hope that comes from having a positive future. Both Walt and Thao experience redemption in the film. Walt is saved from the guilt of a murderous past as a soldier and the disappointment of broken relationships within his own immediate family. Ultimately, Walt finds “peace” with himself, with others and with God. Walt’s young neighbour, Thao is rescued from a future of crime and violence, and the shame of attempted theft. Ultimately, Thao gains a future as a hard-working, respectable American citizen and man. It is evident from the beginning of the movie that Walt has a hard-line attitude towards the church, which is partly because of the pain and torment he experienced from Korea. Walt exhibits strong racial slurs as he had strong racial prejudices, also mainly because of the 50’s style of thinking he has and likewise from the time in Korea, as this is how they talked about them. It is symbolic as he still thought and spoke like that back after the war, showing the audience that he is still at war, not with the

One connection Walt makes with his neighbors is that they are passionate for using ethical reasoning. For example in Grand Torino, Thao helped Mrs.V. by picking up her groceries, after some neighborhood kids were being disrespectful. After this Walt said “How about that”, the particular scene shows Eastwood has some type of aspiration for society, which this actually makes him joyful for the boy because most people would have been spectating and would have ignored the situation. Additionally, this depicts that Thao has concern for others and doesn’t just pressure into everyone else’s opinion. Clint Eastwood reveals that he has a sense of compassion in Grand Torino. For example, he felt a desire to save Sue from the neighborhood gang. Eastwood demonstrates a comparison through the character he plays and the Hmong family. The Hmong Family believed it was moral to provide punishment. Walt can be perceived as old fashion when he says he’s “old school”. In Grand Torino, Thao got punished for trying to steal Walt’s

The opening of the film introduces us to WALT KOWALSKI at the funeral of his wife. The opening scene and the next (the wake) show us that Walt has no desire to belong either to his family or to his religion. Everything jars with Walt, from the young priest giving the eulogy to his granddaughters belly button ring, from the Japanese car driven by his son to his granddaughters crass selfishness. He perceives his family as selfish, materialistic and shallow. His family also reject and are intolerant of him. He also rejects the ties of belonging represented by religion though we only learn the real reason for this later. It’s quite plain he thinks