Now let us praise 'Gran Torino'
What a gratifying feeling to call up Box Office Mojo and discover that the No. 1 film at the box office for the weekend was "Gran Torino." Sometimes art and commerce do mix! I write in my review that the film is one of my favorites of the year.
For those who haven't heard by now, "Gran Torino" has a special connection to Fresno. Several of its supporting Hmong-American actors were born here, including Bee Vang, who has the pivotal role of the young man living next door to Eastwood's character. For my Sunday column, I caught up with Bee by phone for an interview. I write:
Bee isn't sure what the overall reaction to the film will be, especially from members of the Hmong- American community. Some people likely will take issue with some of the small details of the film, such as the way a soul-calling ceremony with a shaman is depicted. [Bee says that in reality, only the parents would be vocalizing at that point, and that most people would be outside.] And he suspects that some will object to the emphasis on gangs. That's just a device used in the film, he says. "It was never just about the Hmong community. It uses the backdrop of the gangsters to show the struggles that Walt and Thao are going through."
I'm curious: What do Beehive readers think about "Gran Torino"? Does it live up to the hype? How do people feel about the Hmong gang connection? And can anyone address the authenticity of the Hmong customs depicted in the film?
On the jump: More of my thoughts on the film. (Warning: spoiler alert.)
If you've seen the film already -- SPOILER ALERT -- here are a few more of my thoughts:
- I loved the developing relationship between Walt and Thao. At the end of the film, when Walt's will is read, he refers to Thao as his "friend." Yes, Walt takes on sort of a father-figure role in the film, which is something that the characters discuss. But in the end, their most dominant relationship is friend. Multi-generational friendships aren't often depicted in movies.
- Eastwood is so spare and economical in his filmmaking. His movies have a fresh, spontaneous feel. Bee told me that Eastwood often caught key scenes in just one or two takes, before his amateur actors had a chance to intellectualize too much about the unfolding scene. That off-the-cuff feel is definitely noticeable. Sometimes it might even seem less than polished, but I think that just adds to the effect.
- One of the things that surprised Bee was how large his face was on the big screen. He was shy about his acne and a little distressed that it was so noticeable. It made me wonder: If Eastwood had used a "name star" in the role, he probably wouldn't have been able to depict him so naturally. An expert make-up artist would have smoothed out any blemishes. It's interesting that of the many teen-agers we see on TV and in movies, just about all of them have perfect skin. Seeing something other than that makes a film seem much more authentic.
- I knew that I absolutely LOVED this movie -- not just liked it, but would gush -- when Eastwood's character, Walt, finally goes to Confession. (The baby-faced priest has been involved in a contest of wills with Walt for the entire film; he'd made a promise to Walt's dying wife that he'd get her husband to Confession.) It would be easy to imagine, if this had been a typical film, a supremely dramatic moment when Walt finally gets into the confessional. He would have confronted his various guilts -- wartime excesses, parenting failures, missed opportunities -- with an emotional release. The audience, sighing, would have embraced him in the cathartic moment. It could have been the high point of the movie. And yet it doesn't work that way. Walt simply tosses the hard-working priest a few bones. He offers a few perfunctory "sins." The priest immediately understands. The fact that Walt was willing to get into the confessional at all was a huge concession for this stubborn, principled man. The priest plays along, not wanting to badger Walt any more than he has. The two men come to a respectful truce, if you will. Eastwood completely skips the chance to emote all over the screen -- to offer a wave of redemption -- in favor of keeping things murky. The film's uneasy relationship with religion continues through to the end.
Comments:
FYI: A local Hmong filmmaker and his family also helped out with casting in Fresno for this film and some post-production sound recording at Warner Bros. Very cool!
Posted by: Bryan Harley at January 12, 2009 5:11 PM
Hi, Donald!
I miss our weekly movie review pow-wows! I absolutely loved the movie. So understated. Totally surprising how it developed. It did NOT go where you expected it to go. And for that, Clint Eastwood will always be one of the best actors/directors of all time.
Posted by: zara at January 12, 2009 6:23 PM
Overall it was a great movie. Yeah, the cultural stuff was exaggerated and in accurate but it was still true as to the feel and thougt of "some" hmong. I would warn that if you are easily offeded people should expect lots of racial and deragatory terms. "My only wonder is if all the white folks in the room would laugh so much if the deragatory terms were geared towards them."
Posted by: Johnsvang at January 12, 2009 6:25 PM
I am shocked that so many critics and groups have included this film on their "Top Ten" lists. It may be that I had high expectations for Gran Torino, and was thoroughly disappointed.
Like many, I have been a long time Clint fan, both as an actor and director. I don't blame him for why I didn't like the film. Though I thought that the acting and the directing were subpar, I think the problem was the script.
What I did appreciate about this film was how it introduced to the masses the Hmong culture, a group of people who have been a part of our lives here in the valley for at least the past thirty years. It would take someone white, strong, and elderly like Clint Eastwood to spread the word to the "blue" hairs, who were a good 80% of the people at the 12:30 matinee showing on Saturday, that their neighbors might be good people. We can only hope that this opens the door to some great cinema from the Hmong people. They have stories to tell and I would love to hear them.
Posted by: Vince at January 12, 2009 6:34 PM
Best. Movie.
...and I saw Slumdog, which I also loved...but I loved Clint because his MAN is dying out, and he made his point loud and clear.
I love the Barber scene. Hilarious.
Posted by: Ms. V at January 12, 2009 10:13 PM
This movie is great. Maybe some of the script is weird at times. But the interplay between Eastwood and his nextdoor neighbors is priceless. And how cool is it that Hmong-Americans finally get on the big screen and a look into even a little Hmong culture is shown.
I knew this movie was a hit when I took my friends who hate anything other than action flicks loved this film.
Two thumbs and Two Big toes up!
Posted by: Patrick Contreras at January 13, 2009 8:26 AM
I enjoyed the movie very much. One part I enjoyed was when Walt saved Toad's sister from trouble when she was hanging out with that white boy. I find that part very true in that some asian and latina women love the white guy that tries to be gangsta.
I'm not a good person. I wanted something to be done differently at the end. I guess I believe taking matters into your own hands when it comes to revenge. I need to work on that.
Posted by: mdub420 at January 13, 2009 9:47 AM
Donald, I couldn't agree with you more about this movie. One measuring stick for me is whether a film lives up to the hype. Too often I'll look forward to a much-buzzed-about film, only to be sorely disappointed (such as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" or that last "Indiana Jones" movie).
What I love about Clint Eastwood's filmmaking here is how he respects a story and presents it in a straightforward fashion. No glitz, no special effects, no "look at this great camera angle" direction. He rarely pads a movie. Every scene serves a purpose. I know we make too much of age these days but, at 78, he brings a grit and an integrity to "Gran Torino" that is missing from most current films.
I don't know if "Gran Torino" will get any Academy Award nominations and, if it doesn't, it's too bad. While other likely nominees ("Benjamin Button" for example) have a glossier pedigree, Eastwood works with a cast of mostly amateurs and still weaves a compelling story. As others have noted, it's wonderful that a major motion picture spotlights the Hmong people and their culture. I also relish how Eastwood takes his "Dirty Harry" persona (Can anyone else, armed with a rifle in this case, deliver the line "Get off my lawn!" with such scary gravitas?) and then twists it up. (My only quibble with this movie is that his grandkids are so transparently rotten.)
As he did in "Million Dollar Baby," Eastwood explores themes of family disconnections and religion here as well. But I wouldn't want anyone to think that "Gran Torino" is always heavy. Humor is a welcomed leveler, as it is in real life. Eastwood takes us into this intimate world, with its push-and-pull of friendships and conflicts, and touches our humanity. And that is when entertainment can elevate to something more worthwhile.
Posted by: felicia matlosz at January 13, 2009 10:30 AM
Off topic: Does anyone know when The Wrestler will be playing in Fresno?
Posted by: Ben at January 13, 2009 1:08 PM
To Ben: According to the latest studio release schedule, "The Wrestler" is scheduled to open in Fresno on Jan. 23. (Of course, schedules can change.)
Posted by: Donald Munro at January 13, 2009 1:52 PM
To Johnsvang: You raise an interesting point when you write: "I would warn that if you are easily offeded people should expect lots of racial and deragatory terms. My only wonder is if all the white folks in the room would laugh so much if the deragatory terms were geared towards them."
I wonder that, too. I realize that laughter is often an expression of surprise and discomfort. It IS shocking to hear such terms bandied about on the big screen, especially today, and I like to think that a lot of the laughter that I heard in the audience was because people were a little uncomfortable. But I'm sure that there were some people who simply thought the whole racial-slur thing was jolly.
By the way, it's tough to make a movie like this without offending someone. I've read comments from Polish-American readers who were upset at the way that their ethnicity is portrayed on screen.
Posted by: Donald Munro at January 13, 2009 2:06 PM
Visalia also has connection to this film. One of the actors is from Visalia. Her name is Brooke Chia Thao and she plays Sue and Tao's mom. Here is a little more about her in an article i found.
http://ww2.hmongtoday.com/displaynews.asp?ID=2590
Posted by: Chue at January 13, 2009 2:21 PM
Donald, I laughed at a lot of the jokes too, but it was because I am asian and have heard 99% of those slang used towards me before, just not in the way Clint used them. When my wife and I were in the theatre i was looking around and noticed a prodominantly older white crowd (this is at sierra vista mall)i started thinking are they laughing because its funny or because it is deragatory. Oh well, i didnt go away offended but rather entertained by the movie. It is what it is, a great movie and that is the way i looked at it. No harm no foul.
Posted by: johnsvang at January 13, 2009 3:41 PM
I made a comment similar to the following on another popular, local, blog site. mummble mummble Dumb Drum mummble
To me it seemed as though the writer and/or filmmaker used the racial slurs in a similar manner to that of the violence in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. Though in the latter it was directed more towards the media's glorification of violence. It seems that if one sees or hears something enough, there is always the possibility of one becoming numb to it. There was plenty of laughter in the theater when the racial epithets flew. As noted previously, some seemed a bit nervous, but safe in the dark.
DAG host of Comedy Central's The Chocolate News had a great segment in which Whites and African Americans came to an agreement on the Whites' usage of the "N-word."
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=187061&title=n-word-peace-treaty
If you do watch the video, they have shown how that there is no way to create balance with some select words.
Posted by: Vince at January 13, 2009 4:16 PM
A Hmong friend at work saw the film and told me that there were some culture errors in the film...I submitted these to IMDB.COM
Goof: SHAMENS DO NOT GIVE STRANGERS ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR LIFE.
Type: Factual Mistake
Goof: DURING THE CEREMONY FOR THE NEW BIRTH OF A CHILD, ADULTS TIE A STRING TO THE NEW BABY TO BLESS THE BABY (KNOWN AS THE BACI CEREMONY)
Type: Factual Mistake
Goof: THERE IS NO CUSTOM TO BRING LOTS OF FOOD TO SOMEONE WHO HELPS A HMONG FAMILY
Type: Factual Mistake
Goof: IN THE HMONG CULTURE THEY DO NOT WEAR CEREMONIAL COSTUMES TO A FUNERAL. THEY ONLY WEAR THOSE COSTUMES ON THEIR WEDDING DAY CELEBRATION
She also said the grandmother who spits tobacco in the movie was swearing up a storm and was pretty racist in her comments, too.
Type: Factual Mistake
Posted by: George (Duke) at January 15, 2009 6:49 AM
I agree with you completely this time Mr. Munro! Clint Eastwood never ceases to amaze me!! As we all like to say with age comes wisdom, in the case of Mr. Eastwood also comes perfection!!! What I loved about this movie is that alot of us believe in Adam and Eve, which means were all related!! Although I am basically mixed European backround I am also of Indian heritage. Some of my family were held back in school when they came to this country because they couldn't speak English, it didn't stop them from succeeding. Alot of my relatives were first generations here they worked the land and did everything the hard way, than lived a long healthy life into their 80's and 90's, we should be so lucky!! In my lifetime we have been called everything from wops to crouts (I still don"t know what a diego is?)(spelling?) We use to laugh off these slurs!!!! I don't know of any family members that let this kind of treatment interfere with how we should treat other people!! We need to laugh about things more. Remember the old saying divide and conquer, lets strive to unite and prosper!! Learn from this movie and start this New Year with love and prosperity for all!!
Posted by: IN at January 18, 2009 3:14 PM
When I was a child, a very young Clint Eastwood came to my grandfather's funeral, accompanied by AC Lyles, who was the producer of RAWHIDE, and my grandfather's series THE OUTLAWS. Eastwood played "Rowdy Yates", a young cowboy on a cattle drive. Years later I met him again on the set of PALE RIDER. Though spanning 30 years, he presented himself with grace and dignity. A common man, a brilliant actor and director, he so deserves an Oscar for this wonderful film, GRAN TORINO. We can all identify with or have a family member like Walt. Best movie I've seen lately.
Posted by: ginger at January 20, 2009 8:56 PM
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