Gran Torino was released in 2008 and it was directed by Clint Eastwood, as he was also the main character. The main character Walt, as played by Clint Eastwood, befriends a young Hmong boy in what turns out to be a surprising relationship. This film portrayed a significant amount of historical trends of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and it represents certain cultural aspects that were present at the time with both the Hmong people and the average American white male. The Detroit that is portrayed in the movie certainly isn't the Detroit that stands today, and this movie encompasses that aspect relatively will. Gran Torino certainly provides the viewer a heartwarming plot line, a realistic view of both the culture and trends of the time period, and
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It is evident that racial segregation in neighborhoods was being broken and the white people were angry about this. Martelle explains that between 1943 and 1965 about one hundred and ninety two home owner associations were formed to preserve the status quo in Neighborhoods (Martelle 189). While the focus was on African American discrimination in Martelle’s Detroit, racial strife in neighborhoods was evident as seen in Gran Torino. Walt was extremely angered by the new racial diversity in his neighborhood, as were many white people at the time in Detroit, Michigan. White home owners went as far to start putting up for sale signs and leaving neighborhoods that allowed people of any race to move in. Another major social change presented in Gran Torino was the gang violence that was occurring. As Detroit began to deteriorate, gang related crimes became more relevant and Gran Torino encompasses this aspect well. Gran Torino encompasses the social and economic changes that began to take place in Detroit relatively well. The once “American tradition” filled city began to change before Walt’s eyes, and the viewer was able to see the rise in gang problems as well. Overall, the film Detroit did not capture the impact of deindustrialization on the Motor City very well. Over the course of the film, the only mention of cars was Walt’s Gran Torino. While this car held great significance to Walt, and eventually Thao, the actual automobile industry within Detroit was not evident in the
It is evident that racial segregation in neighborhoods was being broken and the white people were angry about this. Martelle explains that between 1943 and 1965 about one hundred and ninety two home owner associations were formed to preserve the status quo in Neighborhoods (Martelle 189). While the focus was on African American discrimination in Martelle’s Detroit, racial strife in neighborhoods was evident as seen in Gran Torino. Walt was extremely angered by the new racial diversity in his neighborhood, as were many white people at the time in Detroit, Michigan. White home owners went as far to start putting up for sale signs and leaving neighborhoods that allowed people of any race to move in. Another major social change presented in Gran Torino was the gang violence that was occurring. As Detroit began to deteriorate, gang related crimes became more relevant and Gran Torino encompasses this aspect well. Gran Torino encompasses the social and economic changes that began to take place in Detroit relatively well. The once “American tradition” filled city began to change before Walt’s eyes, and the viewer was able to see the rise in gang problems as well. Overall, the film Detroit did not capture the impact of deindustrialization on the Motor City very well. Over the course of the film, the only mention of cars was Walt’s Gran Torino. While this car held great significance to Walt, and eventually Thao, the actual automobile industry within Detroit was not evident in the