Revision: Gran Torino

by David, Shahd, Julian

 structure
quick summary
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background knowledge: decline of Detroit

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leitmotifs:
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- masculinity
- racism
- violence
- religion
clash of cultures
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connectable terms and sample exercises

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 background knowledge: Detroit
suffering under economic decline
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caused by: collapse of the local car industry

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→ many people moved away because of job losses

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high crime rate: grand thefts, rapes, urban
separation, violence
dominated by numerous gangs
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 Summary
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an old ex-soldier and widower is living alone next to an asian
family while his family wants him to move to a retirement home
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Once in a night he rescues his neighbour Thao from getting
abused by gang members and is seen as a neighbourhood hero
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Right after the asian family show up grateful he also rescues
Sue from the black gang members who sexually harassed her
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 summary (2)
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Walt started to befriend with the neighbours because he realizes he has various
vales in common and comes closer to Thao who had to work for Walt because
of damaging his Gran Torino
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After the asian gang threatens Thao again, rapes Sue and comitted a drive-by
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Walt wants to revange them.

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Once showing up at the gang house he gets shot by the whole gang which gets
arrested in the end
Thao heirs Walt´s Gran Torino on his will
 (toxic) Masculinity
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definition: toxic masculinity describes the act of agressively
asserting dominance by abusing typical masculine stereotypes

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Toxic masculinity includes: insulting, drinking beer, having a nice
car, dominant appearance, straight posture, objectifying women

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Toxic masculinity is omnipresent in the movie and greatly
influences Thao´s and Walt´s relationship → maning Thao up
which also includes positive aspects (e.g. finding a job)
(toxic) masculinity in comparison
Walt Sue´s friend

- menacing -Tries to befriend them/

appearance (slowly to play it cool
arrives with his “nice Usage of “bro“
car“
- disrespecting - pretends to be
(pretending to pull a fearless
gun and pulling an
actual gun
-saving sue and Fails to rescue Sue
emasculating her → gets beaten up
friend for not being
able to save her
 Racism – how does it occur?
xenophobia occurs because of Walt´s patriotism and his experience in
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war (especially asians because of the Korean war →predjudices)

reasons for racism:
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- inequality/injustice
- dissatisfaction
- being uninformed –> ignorance
- Prejudices
–> Occurs when two cultures with those aspects collab
 How is racism expressed?
In general In the movie
- violence –> conflict between Walt and the local
gangs
- exclusion/race segregation –> principal of gangs: only Asians, blacks
etc.
- insulting –> Walt keeps insulting throughout the
whole movie
- unfairness/inequality –> blacks vs. whites
- others –> spitting and disgusting looks

BUT: Walt is losing parts of his racism during the movie:

Asian neighbours (good) vs. Asian gang (bad)
 violence
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What is violence? - involving physical and mental
force intending to hurt, damage or kill
someone/something.
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depicts personal superiority –> ability to control
someone
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Motivation of violence: personal hate, cultural
differences –> racism, envy
 Violence in the movie
The ability to control somebody
Physically harming
Usage of weapons (guns)
Mentally damaging
Murdering
–> the Asian gang forcing to steal Walt´s
car
–> Walt beating up “Smokey”
–> Asian gang beating up Thao on the way
home
–> Walt threatening the black gang
–> the asian gang shooting during the
drive-by
–> rape of Sue: traumatized for the future
(also physical damage), insulting
–> the Asian gang shooting Walt to death
 religion
omnipresent/overarching theme
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Possible reason for conflicts

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occurrences:
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- funeral(start/end)
- Walt´s sins
- Walt´s house(multiple religious symbols due to his wife’s beliefs)
- the priest,
- Walt´s sacrifice (symbol of cross)
 change of Walt´s attitude towards religion
 clash of culture
including all the explained leitmotifs:
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-violence
-religion
-racism –> expression, and motifs for clash of culture
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–> because of cultural differences those various groups
keep fighting → nobody is ready to accept or adapt the
other cultural, but what is the actual message of the movie?
 The message of Gran Torino
Walt is a man of guilt and remorse who is loyal to traditions
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but during the movie he accepts the Hmong culture and befriends to
them –> even sacrificing his life for them + manning up Thao
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the movie criticises the ignorance of others culture and the occurring
racism.
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Walt is an example that you are able to balance between tradition and
the acceptance of others cultures and their traditions
–> Equality can happen, you just need to learn to accept others
 Connectable terms and sample exercises
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Comparison between the depiction of racism in Gran
Torino and in the short story “She shall not be moves”
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Compare the behaviour of Walt and the monster in
terms of social acceptance and motivation of action
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Work out how Walt and the Monster of Mary Shelly´s
Frankenstein leave the world behind them.