4
Arts Cultur
Gran Torino makes my day,
John Hurlburt
The Clackamas Print
Whenever Clint Eastwood
is holding a gun on the cover
of a movie, it’s usually a sign
that viewers are in for something
great. The only difference this
time is he’s 78 and it’s show
ing. The good news is that’s the
point.
‘Gran Torino’ is the story of
Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) a
retired veteran of the Korean War
who ever since, hasn’t been able
to adjust fully to the regular world
and he seems to hold a certain
level of contempt for everyone
in it. His self absorbed family
doesn’t help to improve his posi
tion. All throughout the movie,
like a pack of vultures, they hint
at trying to pick apart his estates
before he is even dead.
His granddaughter in the very
beginning of the movie at the
funeral of Walt’s wife asks him
flat out if she can have his car
when he is dead. His face cringes
in disgust and he just walks out
on her, a display that happens
many more times throughout the
movie.
The disappointment faced by
Walt also stems from what one
would assume to be his worst
nightmare - the neighborhood
he has lived in for nearly all
his life has fallen into shambles
and become a melting pot mostly
inhabited by Hmong people.
Walt’s disgust with his new
neighbors shines in brilliant appar
entness when a fight between
his new next door neighbor Toa
and Toa’s cousin, a member of
a bottom of the barrel gang ‘The
Spider,’ breaks into Walt’s yard.
In retaliation, he grabs his old war
rifle, an Ml Garand, and points it
at the gangsters telling them he
isn’t afraid to pull the trigger.
Eastwood’s character puts a
whole new spin on the old cliché
of an old man yelling, “Get off
my lawn!” Instead of laughing
uncontrollably, I just focused on
the fact that he may as well of
been saying, “Do you feel lucky
punk? Well do you?” He makes
the phrase terrifying.
His performance as a disgrun
tled old man trying to make it by
in the world is nothing short of
astounding. He was bom to play
in ‘The Dollars Trilogy,’ the same
way he was bom to play Walt
Kowalski in ‘Gran Torino.’ Just
instead of being a young quick
draw, he is an old racist man who
never quite caught up with the
times.
Throughout the movie the rac
ism depletes as he befriends his
new Hmong neighbors and takes
their son under his wing, but the
racial slurs don’t. As a friend said
to me, this movie almost seems as
if it was an excuse to use every
racial slur made for Asians. It
doesn’t stop there, however. It
attacks every race from the Irish
to African Americans, but instead
of being offensive and over the
top, it makes sense for a man
stuck 40 years in the past.
The movie focuses just as
much on the decline of Americana
as it does on anything else.
Everywhere in the world you see
young people being disrespect
ful and Eastwood’s appalled face
noticing it. He finds hope in
his neighbors and ultimately the
movie becomes worth watching
on multiple levels not because it’s
an action flick because it’s not.
Instead, this is a movie that deals
with changing times, American
values and the fragility of life and
death, an issue that goes back and
forth between Walt, the seem
ingly know-it-all of death, and
his priest, the gleaming beacon
meant to represent life.
The supporting cast is a col
lection of no-names and first time
actors assembled more for realism
than for their acting ability but it is
in no way hindering to the overall
feeling of the movie. Instead of
emotions being over-dramatized,
the viewer gets the feeling they
are actually in a Midwest town
and not tinsel town.
“Gran Torino,” isn’t the best
film in 2008 and it does show
the signs of what may have
been a lower budget. However,
Eastwood’s outstanding acting
and a story that sends a message
out to all Americans in one way
or another about what it is to be
in modem America make it a film
more than worth watching. Plus
this movie may be our last chance
to hear Eastwood saying things
like, “I used to pile guys like you
five high and use your bodies as
sand bags,” on the big screen. It’s
a must see for Eastwood fans and
a good way to spend 10 bucks for
anyone who isn’t.
I4?raf do you expect of Obama?
Health Fair participants needed!
Bill Brod Community Center
Wednesday, Feb. 18
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ariane Amstutz
“Oh my
goodness, great
things will
happen.99
Giovanni Lowry
“Oh God, I hope he gets
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the deficit under control. I
hope he brings the guys back
from the war. I think he will
attempt to do those things.”
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Dominick Walker
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“I think it will be a
positive change. I
think this is what\ve
needed.”
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’ If you want to help educate Clackamas staff and students abc
I health issues or provide community resources, please e-mail
I at mbaker@clackamas.edu or stop by their office to fill out a
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