Thursday, February 26, 2009

Gran Torino (2008)



Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)

In Sergio Leone's invaluable masterpiece The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), a very young Clint Eastwood plays an unnamed cowboy (popularly known as the Man with No Name), who in his pursuit for hidden treasure, involuntarily gets involved in the ongoing Civil War. In one scene, he witnesses firsthand the effects of war as he rides by fallen soldiers struggling to stay alive amidst mortal wounds and severe despair. Through death and suffering, Eastwood's unnamed cowboy sheds his familiar indifference to partially reveal his affiliation with humanity. A firsthand experience with the human condition pushes him out of the comfort of his chosen neutrality; and all at once, witnesses the repercussions of humanity in its most depraved. Whether or not the encounter causes a dent on a soul that has already been rendered callous by violence is out of the film's range. The Man with No Name rides into the sunset wealthier from the spoils of his adventure, and we can only guess whether he took with him the weight of his wary world.

More than four decades later, Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean war veteran whose wartime experiences has turned him into a cynical fossil of a man. The inescapable internal and external hell that Walt struggles with seems to be the apt representative of the grim twilight of all of his famous onscreen personas' lives: The Man With No Name of Leone's popular spaghetti westerns, Inspector Harry Callahan of Don Siegel's Dirty Harry (1971) and its many sequels and offshoots, Bill Munny of Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992), and to a certain degree, Franky Dunn of Million Dollar Baby (Eastwood, 2004), who share with Walt the edgy perspective in life would normally lead to a lifetime of repressed remorse, lest callousness has crept into the core of their souls to the point that redemption is no longer an option. Walt is observably, an embattled soul who in his old age, is still painfully struggling with the baggage created from a lifetime of accumulated and accumulating sins. It seems that there can be no redemption for Walt; yet the miracle of Eastwood's filmmaking in Gran Torino (which to my mind is one of Eastwood's better films in his career as a director and undoubtedly his best film in the past decade) is to seamlessly convince his audience of Walt's slow yet deliberate turnaround.

The film opens during the wake of Walt's recently deceased wife. His children, their wives, their sons and daughters, attend the ceremony in deference to mere blood relationship. The strain that defines the relationship between Walt and his family is more than apparent: Walt is constantly irritated by the antics of his grandchildren (he silently growls when he catches his grandsons play with his medal of honor; a more prominent though silent growl is expressed when his granddaughter is leading him to give his beloved memorabilia); and the latter repay his irritation with discomfort when in his presence; Walt is disappointed at his son for driving a Japanese-made car, and dismisses him and his wife from his house when they suggested on his birthday that he relocate to a retirement home. Walt is obviously living in a pit. He has no real relationship with anyone, especially after the death of his wife. His health is deteriorating. He is slowly being cornered in a neighborhood where he is obsolete and immaterial.

Walt is a caricature of classic American arrogance: mouthing racist mantras as he sees his formerly White neighborhood fill up with immigrants; embarrassing the novice parish priest as the latter convinces him to go into confession, lecturing the young priest on life and death based on his experiences; exchanging insults with the local barber, supposedly in good and friendly humor. The face of the America he has lived in, loved, and killed for is rapidly changing. His insistence on the America he knew has stunted his life, which primarily consists of him sulking in his front porch while drowning himself in beer or admiring his one treasure, his vintage Gran Torino. In a twist of fate, the Gran Torino, the one thing that represents his ideal America, becomes the spark that pushes him to befriend Thao (Bee Vang), his Hmong neighbor who he catches one night attempting to steal his car as part of the initiation rites for a gang he was coerced to join, and his family.

Absent from Gran Torino is the typical heavy-handedness and seriousness that often plagues Eastwood's directorial efforts. Eastwood treats the material with an irreverence that is refreshing and most surprisingly, quite fun. The story evolves from light and often comedic sketches that depict Walt's persistent intolerance (with Eastwood's over-the-top yet undeniably apt portrayal limited to growls, grimaces, and guttural utterances of profanities and indecent remarks) to a highly emotional morality play, where Walt, with all his ethical inadequacies, is forced to referee a delicate situation that he finds himself in the center of. The sudden gravity that develops midway through the film is unforced; instead, it lures the audience into an emotional involvement with the affairs of Walt, not totally different from the one achieved through the machinations of daytime soap, that escalates in a climactic scene that is resolved by Walt's mental prestidigitation that completes his redemption, something often wished for but hardly achieved by most of cinema's morally weathered figures.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

>>Absent from Gran Torino is the typical heavy-handedness and seriousness that often plagues Eastwood's directorial efforts.

What a load of utter, UTTER cobblers.

Eastwood is one of the most subtle & understated directors around & you call him heavy-handed?

You're an ignoramus.

Oggs Cruz said...

OoooOooh violent reactions and name-calling... the inability to disagree with civility... how neanderthal.

Noel Vera said...

"You're an ignoramus."

Note, oggs, how his admiration for subtlety doesn't translate into subtle every day discourse.

Eastwood has his good points sir, as oggs pointed out; but much of the time it's four-square filmmaking. Connect the dots. Clunky (I mean--that trial scene in The Changling).

Oggs Cruz said...

Thanks Noel,

Eastwood is a subtle musician, I admit. His compositions have a four to five note range; very effective film music, if I may add. Subtle filmmaker... I disagree. The entirety of Changeling and Flags of Our Fathers, that breakdown scene in Mystic River... and as Noel mentioned, clunky, although when he's graceful, the result is terrific (Letters from Iwo Jima). Gran Torino is clunky as well, but that adds to the film's mystic charms... I'm not dismissing Eastwood as a filmmaker; all I'm saying is that his films tend to be heavy-handedly directed.

Noel Vera said...

With Iwo Jima Eastwood joins a small group of filmmakers from countries who are former opponents of Japan and who have made sympathetic films on the wartime Japanese. Tho for my money Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos is a more level-headed, clear-eyed and ultimately moving portrat if said Japanese.

Oggs Cruz said...

I have yet to see Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, although the DVD-copy is just sitting in my bookshelf, gathering dust. Wish I had more time in my hands... real life stinks, hehe.

Anonymous said...

Hay, Oggs, wala talaga kami mahihita sa yo. No, I liked Gran Torino like you did. Hindi 'yon ang punto ko. Sa rebyu mo, inulit mo ulit ang sinabi ni Noel Vera sa Gran Torino. Kung ako sa yo Oggs, tumigil ka na lang magrebyu kung palagi mo na lang kokopyahin si Noel Vera. Para kang walang sariling isip. Ang maganda sa yo, magrebyu ng mga movie bago magrebyu si Noel, para wala kang kokopyahan. Gets mo ba Oggs. kakainis ka e.

Anonymous the clear-eyed

Anonymous said...

Alam kong mababasa mo tong comment ko. Ke i-approve mo o hindi, ang mahalaga nabasa mo to. TUMIGIL KA SA PANGONGOPYA NG MGA REBYU NI NOEL VERA. PATI SA CLICKTHECITY NABABANGGIT ANG PANGALAN MO SA PANGONGOPYA MO NG OPINION NI NOEL VERA. STOP KISSING NOEL VERA'S ASS. KUNG DI MO KAYANG HUMINTO SA PAGHALIK NG PUWIT NI NOEL VERA, WAG KA NA LANG MAGREBYU.

Nakakahinayang lang kasi kung tutuusin, mas magaling kang magsulat kay Noel Vera e. Nakakahinayang at nakakainis at the same time.

Anynomous the clear-eyed ulit.

Oggs Cruz said...

Ahhh, welcome back Anonymous the clear-eyed... It's up to you to think if I copy or not. As far as I am concerned, liking a film that somebody else likes is not copying. I write the reasons why I like the film, which if you actually read my reviews, are different from any other critic. Of course, if you have that impression already branded in your supposedly clear-eyed brain, then that's your problem. If you think my reviews are rehashes of somebody else's review, then don't bother reading them.

Now, I suggest you stop copying the writing style of Tiktik's showbiz writers, or if you insist that you write that way, write somewhere else. This will be the last time I'll tolerate your crass and definitely not funny language.

Anonymous said...

huh?! you wouldn't tolerate me because I know you like you know NOel Vera. Isn't this copied from Noel Vera:

which to my mind is one of Eastwood's better films in his career as a director and undoubtedly his best film in the past decade

tell me, if it is not.

at wag ka magmaang-maangan, dilaan mo ang puwit ni noel vera hanggat gusto mo. your readers know kung ano-ano ang kinokopya mo at hindi. it is so perplexing to know you agree with vera on 96% of the time
! wala kang sariling isip. im wondering if you passed the bar from copying your seatmate's answer. hahahah

anonymous the clear-eyed.

Oggs Cruz said...

What is it with you and ass-licking? Allege all you want; not unless you show who you really are are they worth anything. Take responsibility for everything you write here, some of which are libelous ("i'm wondering if you passed the bar from copying your seatmate's answer"). I know I do; if people think I copycat, they know exactly I am Francis Cruz who copycats; now take away that veil of anonymity and present who you are, so we can even out the playing field.

I've been nice and amenable to whoever is commenting here, no matter how much bashing I get; but do it in a civil manner, lest you want to invite my being a lawyer into the fray. Tell me who you are if you're that sure of what you're writing. I'll personally make sure you be held responsible for everything you wrote here against me, and the other personalities you've maligned in previous posts.

Oggs Cruz said...

...and to answer your question. I do not tolerate your crass manner of writing. I tolerate your accusations. If you think I copy and you want to tell the whole world what you think, then post away. If you want to tell the whole world I copied from my seatmate in the bar exams, do so. Just take responsibility for it... and does Noel Vera's liking of a film exclude me from liking it?

Anonymous said...

wala na bang bago? kissing noel's ass? maybe s*cking his dick is much better (pardon me)

oggs, sabi nga ni Sampaguita "Nosi Balasi?"

I have not seen this movie. I like Mystic River better than Million Dollar Baby (anyone remember Million Dollar Movies sa ch. 2 dati? Inaabangan ko dati yun every Sunday.) I read somewhere you like Million better. Yes, we differ in opinion, so what? So that I'll say you stop s*ckng Noel's d*ck...hehe

Keep on posting Oggs...I haven't got much time to read your posts but I want to know other's opinion first before seeing a particular movie. Recession eh, I want to stay away from movies that you know---waste time and money (pretty much same thing as what our dear friend here is whining about..waste of...)


--ken

Anonymous said...

Sorry po sa lahat ng aking ininsulto.
Kung kaya ko lang po ay magpapakilala ako. Pero mahina po ang loob ko.

anonymous the clear-eyed.

Oggs Cruz said...

Take responsibility for everything you've written. You didn't seem weak-hearted when you wrote them, so come out. If you don't want to come out, I'll have you come out (don't dare think that just because you can label yourself anonymous here that you're actually anonymous; there's such a thing as IP address tracking).

Anonymous said...

hahaha. nanggagalaiti si oggs cruz sa galit. hahaha pano napuruhan na nangongopya kay noel vera ng opinion.

hoy, sino ba yang anonymous the clear-eyed na humihingi ng paumanhin. never kong gagawin yan, noh! hahaha

anonymous the clear-eyed, the original.

Oggs Cruz said...

There's no anger here; just disgust that there's a person as cowardly as to brandish sweeping libelous statements and cannot take responsibility over them.

Anonymous said...

i think hindi yan libelous! merong "I wonder" e. in the context of the post, it was used as rhetorical exercise to further a point.

atty anonymous the clear-eyed, the original.

Oggs Cruz said...

If that's what you think, then tell us who you are...

Oggs Cruz said...

...and before you start mouthing further statements, this isn't about me getting mad, this is about you taking responsibility for everything you say, will say, and have said in the internet. Everybody knows me, whether my opinions are copied or not, whatever's written here is attributed to me... so do the same, or if you can't, just shut up!

Anonymous said...

ayoko ngang sabihin name ko. sarap kaya maging anonymous. kahit mag-tumbling ka, o umebak sa tabi ng kalsada, ok lang, wala naman nakakakilala sa yo. o di ba? try mo maging anonymous. sarap. kesa naman maging kilala sa pangongopya ng opinion ng iba. anonymous na lang.

uy, oggs, umuusok na dalawa mong tainga. kitang-kita ko mula dito sa pwesto ko. hahahaha

atty anonymous the clear-eyed, the original.

Oggs Cruz said...

Good for you...

Anonymous said...

simple lang naman ang gusto naming iparating sa yo, oggs. we your readers are intelligent. we know kung kelan ang opinion mo ay orig o kinopya lang. don't let yourself believe na di namin makikita yan. it is so obvious from our end. it is for you din. nagmumukha kang walang backbone. sayang kasi may pramis ka. o diba. pero pramis ang sarap maging anonymous. hahaha

atty anonymous the clear-eyed, the original

Oggs Cruz said...

Sure... keep on posting comments.

Anonymous said...

sorry if this is inappropriate, but I just had to add something that seems to be very obvious:

atty anonymous the clear-eyed, the original = maximum douche