Clint Eastwood has been known for years for his portrayal of tough-guy, no-nonsense cops and cowboys in many films. But after taking to roles behind the camera, he may now be known better for his direction of bleak dramas ranging from Unforgiven his latest film, Gran Torino. Eastwood has also directed several movies that deal with the theme of war and plays a Korean War vet in Gran Torino. Eastwood himself was in the military and met some other actors in the service while never seeing action. I think that Eastwood's service in the military is the source of this recurring theme of war heroes throughout his films.
Along with the theme of war, violence is a common companion throughout many of Eastwood's. And while it is a common theme, violence is not portrayed to be honorable but as a burden that a man doesn't want to bear. It was shown in both Unforgiven and Gran Torino at the end of the films when Eastwood's character makes speeches about the terrible burden of taking another's life. This comes as oddity to me as Eastwood made a name for himself in Sergio Leone's spagetti westerns where violence was the main theme and draw of the film.
3 comments:
I agree with the notion that he gains a lot of his character from past "hardass" type of roles. I found this type of a character portrayed in an old man to be quite hilarious. for example when he is in the basement talking to "Tao" .
"your wrong egg roll"..."you are letting click clack,ding dong, and Charlie Chan walk right on out with ms. what's her face." you mean 'yuan'? yum yum ya shes a nice girl. and to end it all he walks out with calling him a puss cake... Clint Eastwood is the man! who says that! film is great at capturing the angry old folk of America in a 2 hour movie.
I was surprised by the way Gran Torino ended when Walt didn't go and kill the hmong gangsters. I thought that he would go there and kill them all as revenge for what they did to sue, but I still think that it was a really good ending, and I agree with you that he is just trying to prove a point in the end of his film just like in unforgiven.
I also thought that the movie had some very hilarious parts especially when Walt tells the Reverend that "I think you're an overeducated 27-year-old virgin who likes to hold the hands of superstitious old ladies and promise them everlasting life." His bluntness is very off-putting but also refreshing in some cases especially in the scene when Sue is being harassed while with her boyfriend.
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