The Problem with Gran Torino: A Critical Race Interrogation of the Movie Gran Torino
The other day I was channel surfing and came across the movie The Mule. The premise of the movie was interesting. Clint Eastwood’s character Earl Stone becomes a drug mule for a Mexican drug cartel. Who would suspect an old white dude of being a drug Mule? Ten minutes into my viewing of the movie, the protagonist while on a drug run comes across a family whose car had a flat. See the clip here
Earl, the good Samaritan that he is, offers to help the family change the tire. As he and the father of the family pulls the spare tire from the trunk, Earl says, “It sure feels good helping you Negro folks out.” The couple, taken aback, informs Earl that they really don’t like the term Negro and that Black or just people would be fine. In reply, Earl says “No, shit?” and the father replies, “Yeah, no shit”. The folks go on about the business of changing the tire. This scene did not really sit with me well.
A few days later, I happened across another Eastwood movie, Gran Torino, that I had not seen in a while. The plot of the movie involves a young Hmoung man, Thao, trying to steal his neighbor Walt’s mint condition Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation. Walt catches him, and runs him off with the help of a rather large hand gun. The next day, Thao’s sister and grandmother approach Walt insisting that Thao work for Walt for a period of time to make up for his indiscretions. Walt ends up mentoring Thao, showing him the ropes. Throughout the film, Walt and Thao’s family develop a close friendship and in the end, Walt sacrifices his life to rid the neighborhood of a Hmong gang that terrorized Thao’s family. On the surface Gran Torino is a story of how people from very different cultural backgrounds can find ways to overcome their differences by recognizing that they have more in common than they realize. This movie did not sit well with me either.
Walt is a curmudgeon, elderly Vietnam vet who is perpetually grumpy and penchant to use insulting, racist, sexist, misogynistic language. Throughout the movie, Walt refers to Asian people as swamp rats, barbarians, gooks, and zipper heads. He reinforces tired stereotypes, at one point telling his neighbors to keep their hands off his dog (read the subtext there). The Thao’s family is patient and believes in the inherent goodness of Walt, and they learn to concentrate less on Walt’s racist rhetoric and more on his actions. While this is a nice sentiment, I respectfully call bullshit. Eastwood’s movies are problematic on several levels.
It reinforces the “nice old racist” trope.
Several YouTube content creators have posted clips and reactions to the movie. I happened across a YouTube video called First Time Watching: Gran Torino by Caped Informer (his videos are entertaining, you should check them out). I decided to read the comment section and read several commenters proposing the notion that we should learn to be less sensitive about racist rhetoric of well meaning white folk and judge them by their actions. This seems reasonable enough, after all old folk are stuck in their ways and only use language that was common back in the day. They don’t mean anything by it. The problem with this idea is that it places the responsibility on the marginalized person in the relationship to look beyond hurtful racist rhetoric. Through the movie Thao and his sister laugh off Walt’s rhetoric or tell him that his rhetoric is not going to drive them away. Racism is racism, this includes verbal racism, and it needs to be checked.
It presents toxic personality traits as essential.
In my life, I can point to a handful of white teachers and mentors who have encouraged me and set me up for success. The issue is not that Walt is there to help his Asian neighbors. The issue is that there is an implication that the historically marginalized need to be grateful for white people like Walt who may be gruff on the outside, but are generous to helpless people of color. Thao lacks confidence and an understanding of what it means to be a man, Walt mentors him and teaches him to be a real man. A gang tries to kidnap Thao, and Walt saves him. Thao’s sister is being harassed by a group black men; Walt sweeps in to save the day. Thao is assaulted by the gang, Walt goes to the gang’s house to order them to leave Thao alone. Thao’s sister is raped by the gang, Walt confronts the gang. In the end. Walt is gunned down protecting his Hmong friends, symbolically sprawled on the law spread eagle in a posture oddly–but perhaps intentionally– reminiscent of Christ’s crucifixion. Walt dies so the poor people of color might live. As a character, we are expected to take Walt as he is, because for him to change any aspect of himself, including his racist rhetoric, would eliminate the aspects of his character that makes him the ideal savior.
It is insulting to elderly white people who actually do change.
While attending college at Colorado State University, I developed a friendship with an elderly white woman who worked in my college dorm. This was an unlikely friendship. While she meant well, my friend was prone to use microaggressions in her interaction with students of color and several avoided her at all costs. I notices that my friend was a decent person, so I made and attempt to get to know her. Overtime our friendship grew. Once we developed trust, I was able to pointed out various ways her rhetoric and actions were hurtful. She listened, learned, and changed how she interacted with the black and brown students she served. Toward the end of her life, my friend thanked me for teaching her to be a better person. My friend taught me that elderly white people are capable of growth, and it is offensive to think that there is an age limit for growth. Throughout the movie, Walt is told repeatedly that his words are insulting, but in the end, those who are the target of his rhetoric laugh his behavior off and accept him for who he is, racist behavior and all. Would it have hurt Eastwood to have written a growth arc in the story of Walt abandoning his rhetoric as he grew to understand, respect and love his neighbors?
In the end, it is unfortunate that a movie that promotes learning to see beyond cultural differences ultimately fails at being instructive to white folk. Gran Torino reflects a deep issue with US culture in general. The experience and concerns of white folk are centered in the story and people of color serve as foils for validation of whiteness as essentially good. People of color are asked to ignore troublesome ways some white folk talk to and about people of color and seek to see the inherent goodness within. In the process, the movie absolves white folk of guilt by minimizing the damage verbal assault can do, asking them to endure insults so they may benefit from association with whiteness. The “Walts” of the world exist; however, as we watch this movie and other like it, don’t buy into the idea that racist rhetoric is ultimately harmless. Remain keenly aware that the good deeds a man does for people of color does not excuse the harm a man can inflict on people of color with his racist words.
This is my first post to Medium. Thank you for reading.