Gran Torino made its way onto the big screen in 2009. The main character, Walt, is a racist man who is not in favor of his neighborhood being replaced with people of other races. Being a veteran of the Korean War it bothers him having a lot of Asians moving into his neighborhood. His views of the other race begin to slowly change as he develops an unlikely friendship with the teens next door. This friendship is what turned him from an old grumpy racist into the neighborhood hero. This movie was made to give light to racial prejudice and the ability of overcoming racism. This paper will analyze the movie’s use of racism, stereotyping, discrimination, masculinity, and ethnocentrism as well as show how it ties into the book The Color Of Justice:
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Walt is a man who believes in handling situations on his own with his gun, rather than calling the police which shows machismo. This may have a lot to with the era he grew up in and his values of what a real man is. His entire character, from his form of speaking and acting towards situations, is the representation of masculinity and not taking crap from anyone no matter how old he is. He obviously does not have a close relationship with his sons because they are the exact opposite of masculinity. They are represented as weak and very materialistic because they are trying to get the Gran Torino as well as move Walt to a retirement community so they can get the house. The priest is also a representation of weak, white masculinity and is the reason why Walt wants nothing to do with him up until he decides to do his confession. The Gran Torino itself is a metaphor of strength, and masculinity. It is his connection to the past and to when times were better. It is his pride and when he leaves the car to Thao it is his way of passing down his ethics and values onto Thao. Even though this movie has a theme of masculinity, it also shows weakness through the use of racial slurs and
Walt is a man who believes in handling situations on his own with his gun, rather than calling the police which shows machismo. This may have a lot to with the era he grew up in and his values of what a real man is. His entire character, from his form of speaking and acting towards situations, is the representation of masculinity and not taking crap from anyone no matter how old he is. He obviously does not have a close relationship with his sons because they are the exact opposite of masculinity. They are represented as weak and very materialistic because they are trying to get the Gran Torino as well as move Walt to a retirement community so they can get the house. The priest is also a representation of weak, white masculinity and is the reason why Walt wants nothing to do with him up until he decides to do his confession. The Gran Torino itself is a metaphor of strength, and masculinity. It is his connection to the past and to when times were better. It is his pride and when he leaves the car to Thao it is his way of passing down his ethics and values onto Thao. Even though this movie has a theme of masculinity, it also shows weakness through the use of racial slurs and