Gran Torino Ethos

As a consequence, he avoided the Hmong family. He even expressed distaste for them to their face, not wanting to learn about them or their culture. After much conflict, Walt was presented with the opportunity to help his neighbors and to open his mind to adapting to the inevitable cultural diversity in his town.

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

For example, Kennedy the construction supervisor asks Walt when he can have “the keys” to his Gran Torino, and looks down on Thao for getting a lift. Without a car, Thao is dependent and still a boy. When Walt lends him the Gran Torino to take Youa on a date, he is giving Thao independence and the possibility of a girlfriend. Furthermore, the Gran Torino represents being a genuine American man. Walt built the car when he worked for Ford, and despises the “Jap-burners” that his son Mitch drives around in and sells. Likewise, Spider (an ‘anti-citizen’) drives a white Honda in every scene he appears in, except the last one. When Walt leaves the Gran Torino to Thao in his will, he is giving him more than a car. He is giving him a reward for work, a source of prestige, independence, and an American identity. The closing scene of the film shows Thao driving the car down an esplanade, a young man with a future, and hope.

driven by a force to prove himself but also to get revenge on his father, Walt, whose past continually

When Tarek gets detained by the NYPD in the subway station, and Walter tries to intervene on his behalf, Walter is told that all he can do is make a statement in the station. Walter Vale does everything in his power to help Tarek get free. Even though Walter never had any contact with the immigrant population before, he feels very connected to Tarek over the bond that they share in music, and he helps him despite his ethnicity and race. Walter hires a lawyer to try and get Tarek released, and he visits him frequently. When Walter visits Tarek, he sees how the people are discriminated against and even with all his influence, Walter feels powerless in this situation. Walter was a man of privilege living in America and he never experienced the feeling of such powerlessness in a situation before. This feeling of powerlessness makes Walter fight for what he believes in and he tries everything in his power to help Tarek and set him free.

A gang tries to get the boy next door into the gang his name is Thao. The gang tells Thao to rob the torino from Walt but Thao fails. The family finds out and as a tradition they make Thao be with him and do whatever Walt wants him to do. Walt and the family next door slowly get closer because they show more appreciation to him than his family. Walt gets really involved with the next door family

The conclusion of the film was extremely dramatic and effective at reiterating the neighborhood’s increased confidence over the gang activity.  Walt began the confidence building by standing against the gang publicly.  This brought the neighborhood to think of him as a hero and shower him with gifts of praise.  It was befitting that he would martyr himself in the end.  Lying on the ground dead like Jesus nailed to the cross.  His essential “suicide by gang” was not the only possible solution to the problem.  Though conflict resolution through communication with gang members would more than likely fail, neighborhoods in similar situations have stood firm as a community against gang violence and intimidation.  Using the latest technology, they have driven gang elements away.  By joining neighborhood watch and documenting illegal behaviors from gang members, neighborhoods have made themselves less attractive for gangs to reside.  “The gang's power increases through their use of fear and violence to intimidate rivals and citizens alike. This tactic can be countered by citizen action groups such as Neighborhood Watch. A neighborhood that is united in the goal to stop gang crime and violence can be an effective force in curbing gangs”.  (Orange County Sheriff Office, 1992, p.1).

Walt finally starts to open up to Thao first, after Thao started working for Walt to repent for trying to steal his car. At first it appears that Walt was trying to “toughen” up Thao by trying to show him that his life can be more than a gang if he wants it to be. Walt helped set Thao up with a job, after he helped get him the supplies

“As an initiation, Thao is asked to steal Walt’s prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino. He botches the attempt, as Walt, rather stumblingly, chases his out of his garage with his M1 rifle. Later, Thao’s sister, Sue (Ahney Her) is set upon by some stereotypically predatory young black man and Walt, brandishing a pistol, rescues her.

According to the October 1999 issue of “Entertainment Weekly”, THE GODFATHER is one of the greatest movies of the decade. Rarely can it be said that a film has defined a decade,

"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

Q. What kind of man is Walt Kowalski? Examine character development throughout the film Gran Torino?

Clint Eastwood depicts a sense of transformation in protagonist Walt Kowalski from a racist tormented character to a compassionate father figure through characterisation. Protagonist, Walt is perceived as a tough, worn, old man who has had enough of the people around him. He is viewed as a stereotypical irritable old Korean war

According to Thomas Schatz, in most gangster films, the genre dictates that the gangster always gets killed or goes to jail. There is nothing different that will, or should happen, and Scarface closely follows Schatz’s model of Hollywood’s genres. Schatz’s model is concerned with the movie’s alignment with classical Hollywood setting and narrative.

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