Gran Torino - Multicultural Communication

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by the famous actor Clint Eastwood. Eastwood also plays the main character of the film; the Polish-American former Ford factory worker and Korean War veteran, Walt Kowalski. The film also features a large Hmong American cast, including Bee Vang, playing the role of Walt’s neighbor Thao Vang Lor.

Being set in Detroit, Michigan, Gran Torino is the first modern American film to feature Hmong Americans. They were recruited from Southeast Asia by the US during the Vietnam War, and the first Hmong arrived in America in the 1980s and 90s. In the film, Walt Kowalski comes into conflict with a Hmong family and gang in the neighborhood. He is a miserable and racist man, much due to bitter memories from the Korean War. When he catches Tao trying to steel his 1972 Gran Torino, pressured by his cousin’s gang, the Hmong teenager’s family forces him to do chores for Walt. Eventually, Walt ends up becoming friends with Tao and his family, and learns a lot about their culture. Undoubtedly, he is the one who changes the most throughout the film. Finally, he attempts to protect Tao and his sister from the gang, which sadly includes getting himself killed.

“Why is the film called Gran Torino?” you may ask. Firstly, Gran Torino is the brand of Walt Kowalski’s car. However, there are several deeper reasons as to why the movie was named after it. For instance, the car is the one object that ties Walt, Tao, and his Hmong family together. If Tao had not tried to steal Walt’s Gran Torino, they would never have developed a relationship in the way they did. Furthermore, the car can also be a symbol of Walt’s connection to his past, and a reflection of pride and better times. When he gives the car to Tao in the end of the movie, he somehow transfers these values and beliefs to him.

Walt and Tao

The 1972 Gran Torino

The film deals with many themes, such as aging, violence, family and respect. However, the perhaps most important theme is multiculturalism and culture clash. Walt is a cranky, racist and sometimes downright hostile man, and he does not adapt well in the multicultural neighborhood. He makes it clear from the beginning that he wants nothing to do with the Hmong, whereas Tao and his family truly make an effort to make him feel welcome in their company. As Walt eventually realizes that he is the minority, and spends more and more time with the Hmong, he gradually develops understanding and openness. In this way, Walt is an example of how people can be blinded by prejudice, and consequently overlook the good qualities in people.