Shariq’s Département

“Gran Torino” is a parable for our times.  A bitter old man who believes himself to be alone, who believes that the world is out to get him, slowly finds his beliefs shattered.  The so-called others, the chinks, the foreigners, those who are invading his turf and are responsible for all the ills in his life transform into loving, caring neighbours.  He realizes that we are all one, that outside racial characteristics that are different have no bearing on the heart, where true beauty lies.

We are talking, of course, about Clint Eastwood who brings a fusty, Dirty Harry-turned-protect-the-neighborhood-old-man-vigilante to the movie.  He makes racist comments and is a miserable man.  It is only when he allows himself to make gestures of kindness and generosity that he start to feel happy and at peace with himself.  Clint overacts a bit, but thats ok, since the move is interesting, and the ending is a surprise.

The Asian actors who play the neighbours, and whom Clint ends up protecting from street gangs have a certain non-acterly innocence about them, but the young boy, especially, seems like he is really ACTING in a very high school production sort of way.  Also, the script is very deliberate and obvious with 2 minutes scenes designed to define stereotypes - there is very little room for ambiguity or subtlety here.

As a parable, though, the movie still works, and is worth seeing.  As we go through 2009, more of the illusion of separation among the peoples of the world will dissove.  The more we love those who appear to be different from us, the happier we will be, the more fulfilled we will feel in our journies.

Allow yourself to transform and be happy, as grumpy old Clint does in “Gran Torino”.  And indeed he chooses to let go of his prized Gran Torino car, realizing that material possessions are ephemeral and cannot be the basis of our self-worth. 

Kudos to Clint for making the move.  Without his backing it probably would never have been made.