This is Father Janovich at the beginning of the film, the 27-something priest who has no idea what has happened in Walt Kurowski's life (he does let the young priest know the worst things he did in Korea weren't the ones he was ordered to do, but the ones he chose to do...reminding us perhaps of Chris Kyle having to decide on his own to kill or not kill a mother and her child, or Mike Strank in the foxhole, plunging again and again his bayonet into the either dead or dying Japanese). Always be conscious of how a film starts: like a good essay, it often will present its thesis quickly. So we have a 70-something bitter old man who has just lost his beloved wife, who has pushed his sons and their families away, who has one friend, and who sees the world through a veil of bigotry and prejudice. He's not dead though—and with the entrance of the Hmong next door and their community he gets a chance perhaps to figure out what life is as he approaches the end of it. And maybe to be the father he wasn't to his sons. Maybe. Here are some scenes to remind you of what you saw: watch them.
This is when the Hmong gang members cross onto his lawn. This is when Walt confronts the three young corner guys hassling Sue. And this is right where we ended where Walt beats one of the gangsters.
It was hard not to hear the laughter from you all through the movie. It's a genuinely funny movie—when Walt isn't pulling down on gangbangers or punks on the sidewalk with his M-1 rifle or .45 pistol ( or talking to his estranged sons, or coughing blood). We even laugh as he says the most racist things. Now why is that, we wonder.
1. Reaction to the film so far? Like? Dislike? What scene or moment has stayed with you, and why?
2. Walt Kowalski is a "character"—vivid, bigger-than-life in many ways, a guy you'd remember if you talked with him for five minutes. And if you were black or brown you would definitely remember him because he would insult you to his face. It's easy to see Walt as a lovable old geezer. But he has done terrible things in war. He has estranged himself from his own family. He is a racist and bigot. So how do you react to him? Do you like him? Dislike him? Why? Would you want to be his son or daughter? Why or why not? And what do you think made him the way he is? It's more than the war—don't just say that. Please address all the questions we've posed above.
3. Walt and Chris Kyle: how are they alike? Not how are they different, but how are they alike? Take that question seriously and speak to it with some depth and effort.
See you all tomorrow.
1. So far, I really like this movie. It has a great balance of humor and serious drama. Even though a lot of the things Walt says are very offensive and racist, Clint Eastwood makes the lines hilarious in his delivery. I really liked how someone described him as a "lovable bigot." I especially like the way Walt and Sue interact and banter back and forth. In my opinion, the movie does a great job of showing all of the struggles of all of the characters. None of the important characters are one dimensional. The moment that sticks with me the most was when Walt goes over to the ganger's house and beats up the guy who burned Thao with a cigarette. To me, this shows Walt's true feelings for Thao. Before, he had denied liking him, but this shows how much he actually cares for Thao. He actively seeks outs people who hurt him to make sure they pay, even though they are very dangerous people themselves.
ReplyDelete2. I really like watching Walt in the movie, but if I actually knew a person like him in my life, I would probably think that he was a mean and violent racist. It's funny to watch him insult people in the movie, but in real life I would probably be very offended by him. I tend to not associate myself with people that are very racist and violent, so I would definitely not like him in real life, even though he is a very fantastic character in the movie. I would really not want to have him as a father because of how he pushes his kids away. For me, he is a little too rough and judgemental with his kids and grandkids. He cares about them, but it's hard to tell when he is always saying he is fine and kicking them out of his house. To me, Walt is the way he is for multiple reasons. Obviously he is so violent and a little racist because of his days in the war, but it's also because of the people he associates with. All of his friends besides Thao and Sue are old, white men that are also very racist. He doesn't really have much experience being around people that are different, so that would make him prejudice. His neighborhood used to be all white people when he moved in, but now it is very diverse and he has to deal with that.
3. Walt and Chris Kyle are both very protective of people they care for. When someone they care about is being threatened, they both quickly revert to violence to solve the problem. Also, both of them have trouble talking about their problems. Chris Kyle never wanted to admit he wasn't O.K. and never wanted to talk about what happened during the war. Walt is the same way. He dismisses the fact that he is coughing up blood every time it is brought up and says that he is fine, and he also never talked about what he did during the war until he revealed a little bit of it to the priest. Both of them are very closed characters that don't like to talk about their problems to other people.
1. So far this film has been very entertaining. At first I was having trouble figuring out what the plot was because the bond between Walt and Tao had not been established yet. I enjoy watching the character of Walt as he lives his life in modern Detroit, which is obviously a very rough place. The film definitely has funny moments but also some sad or hard to watch ones. One scene that stuck with me was a funny one where Walt is showing Tao how men talk. He takes him to the barbershop and shows off his banter with the barber.
ReplyDelete2. I think it would be very hard to know Walt in real life but watching his life is humorous. His kids definitely had a hard time growing up with him because nothing they did was good enough and he was very hard and probably mean. He seems misunderstood because nobody knows what went on in the war. He also has old school morals because he had to work hard his whole life. I would not want to be his son because of his overall attitude towards his sons in the movie.
3. Walt and Kyle are obviously alike in that their experience in war changed them. But also, I think they are very similar in how they see everything in black and white- right and wrong. Walt with his views towards others and Kyle in his views towards the war.
So far, I’ve really enjoyed this film. I’ve found it very interesting and engaging, even though the story is far less high-stakes than those of the last two movies we watched. It was a bit loose and meandering at first, and I wasn’t quite sure where the movie was headed. However, now that we’ve got a solid bond between Walt and Thao, I’m very interested to see where the story goes next. I feel that the film does a fantastic job of making you laugh while remaining relatively serious as a story throughout. A scene that really stuck with me was a quiet one where Walt sits down alone on his porch. His old dog comes over to him and he cracks open a beer. Walt smiles at the dog and says “We miss momma, don’t we?” I found this especially sad, as we hadn’t seen much emotion at all other than anger and disapproval from Walt before then.
ReplyDeleteI really like Walt as a character, but I doubt that we’d be friends in real life. He’s amusing in a blunt, no-nonsense way, but he is, of course, very bigoted and quick to insult people. Walt’s sons seem to want to distance themselves from him, which leads me to assume that he was mean and demanding to them in their childhoods as well as in the current day. If this is true, I wouldn’t want to be Walt’s son, as I feel he would have a lot of trouble being emotionally open or honest with his kids. Although Walt is what some would consider to be a bad person in terms of morals and opinions, I can honestly understand that he’s been through a lot in his long life. His attitude towards people of Asian descent can be explained (not justified, but explained) by his experience with Koreans in the war, but his attitude towards other ethnicities is just old-school xenophobia and racism. Walt’s partially a product of his time and, of course, of the hard and ugly war he fought in, but I’d also chalk up his mean and closed-off demeanor to a lack of real human connection and some deep-seated anger at the world. We also have to remember that the Walt we see in the film has only days earlier lost his clearly beloved and cherished wife, and he’s dealing with the grief (albeit not openly).
Walt and Chris Kyle are fairly different on the surface. Chris Kyle is portrayed as a welcoming, caring man who would accept those hurt or suffering with open arms. Walt, meanwhile, is something of a hard-boiled asshole who only cares for a specific few. However, I think that Walt and Chris are definitely similar characters when you dig deeper. They both go to extreme lengths to protect the people that they care about— in Chris’s case, the family and country that he loves, and in Walt’s, his neighborhood and ound friends. Walt and Chris are both also quick to violence. Even though Chris is very open to helping others, he, like Walt, is uneasy about helping himself, and neither of them allow many people through their emotional walls.
1. I am enjoying this movie so far. It is very interesting to see the relationships growing between Walt and his neighbors, especially Sue and Thao. Clint Eastwood also does an amazing job playing Walt. I think that the most memorable scene so far to me was the scene where Walt's son and his wife show up to his house on his birthday. They arrive with a cake and some insulting presents such as a phone with large numbers and a tool that makes picking things up easier. Not only do they bring these presents, but they also talk to Walt about moving into a retirement home. You can almost see the steam coming out of Walt's ears. He is beyond furious. Walt even kicks them out and makes them take their gifts back home.
ReplyDelete2. At certain parts of the movie I really like Walt and then at other parts I'm not exactly a big fan of this character. Walt seems to be a great guy when he does things to help others like buying Thao some tools and a tool belt and getting Sue out of an uncomfortable, and quite possibly dangerous situation. But then after he does something respectable he turns around and acts like he has gone mad and spews racial slurs. I don't think I would want to be his child. He has pushed all of his family away so there is a real disconnect between the two generations. There are certain things he wants done in a specific way and will not settle for less. I can't imagine being his kid, there would be a lot of pressure to do things specific ways. Something that has made Walt the way he is is definitely war. Walt was in the Korean War and feels a great amount of prejudice towards Asians in general. He doesn't seem to care where in Asia people are from, just if a person is Asian he is not going to like them. Walt also holds prejudices against Asians because of the success of the automobile industry overseas. Walt worked for Ford and sees the oversees industries as the cause of the decline in the success of the American automobile industry. He finds the decline of the American auto industry as very distressing.
3. Both Chris and Walt are very protective of those around them. For Walt this is Sue and Thao and for Chris this is his family and the men that are fighting beside him. When Walt comes out of his house and saves Thao from the Hmong gang, Sue tells Walt that he is a hero. Walt denies that he is a hero. Chris Kyle also denies that he is a hero. Both of these characters do not believe that they are heroes even though the people around them believe that they qualify for that title. Both Chris and Walt generalize the groups that they fought against to be all bad. They both express these negative feelings through names like "savages" (Chris) and many many others (Walt).
1. So far I love the plot of this movie, though I may have personal grudges with some of the acting. It is definitely one of the lighter movies that we’ve watched. So far I have not seen an apparent moral like the ones in the other movies, but rather an underlying one about racial prejudice and family. However, there is a good chance I am simply misinterpreting the moral and they will eventually become clear.
ReplyDelete2. I think I originally reacted to Walt with pity. He’s completely alone in this world. His decision to push his family awake, I believe, is one he makes because when he is around them he feels even lonelier than if he was not. I do like him because he speaks his mind. This does not at all mean that I agree with any of the comments that he has made but he also does not let others opinions influence him. I also do not think that he is aware of just how racist and rude the things he is saying are. I would not want to be him son or daughter because of how little love he shows. The two people he seems to care about are the kids next door and still he does not show it out rightly. Personally, I’m a hugger. I think that the time period he lived in made him the way that he was. That is not to say that every man his age is a bigot- many have reformed- but at the time that he lived things that are abominable to say now were perfectly normal.
3. Walt and Kyle are both equipped with the same bigotry now only found either in Texas or in old men. But on a more serious note I think that both of them have a clear right and wrong. For Kyle right is fighting for your country, potentially dying for your country, etcetera. For Walt this right and wrong is shown in the way he treats Tou (sorry about the spelling) and the rest of the neighbors. He cleans their yards, he buys Tou tools, and he tries to protect Tao.
I’ve enjoyed this film in the sense that Walt is an entertaining character. I’m a little confused about what exactly the major plot is and who exactly Walt is. If you asked me to describe “what this movie is about” I would struggle to do so. Obviously, that may change in the final 30 minutes. Of course the iconic “get off my lawn” scene has stayed with me, but so has the scene in which Walt saves the girl from the group on the corner of the street. Above all, I think I found it funny how he shapes his fingers like a gun before whipping out the real deal.
ReplyDeleteOne word to describe Walt? Badass (apologies for the language). No, he is not an admirable figure. No, I would not want to be his son. Honestly, he’s kind of a terrible, racist person, but an entertaining figure no less. I think he’s this way because of everything that has happened in his life. Sure, the war is part of that, but I am also talking about the death of his wife, his unhealthy lifestyle (in many ways), and his materialistic obsession. But I say badass because of how he handles certain situations. If I were asked to describe masculinity –in the many good and bad ways – I would describe Walt. He’s rugged, independent, angry, unemotional, and powerful. Would I want to be/know him? Absolutely not. But I am entertained no less.
Aside from the obvious connection of war, Kyle and Walt do share certain qualities. They both disregard people who are unlike them – Kyle calls Iraqis “(bleeping) savages,” and we know all too well of Walt’s bigotry. They’re also both separated from the World around them. That powerful scene in American Sniper where Kyle is sitting on his couch but hearing war noises in his head shows that even though he is not physically in Iraq, he is there mentally. Walt is removed, too. He is entirely removed from family life, and is immune to the changing demographic of his neighborhood. I love the part in Gran Torino where both the old Asian woman and Walt are sitting on their respective porches, and cursing each other out in their languages. They both want the other gone from their neighborhood. I’m very interested to see the end of the movie.
ReplyDelete1. So far, I've enjoyed the film. A scene or moment that has stayed with me would probably be the scene where Sue and her date run into the group of boys on the corner. The way the boys were treating and talking to Sue and the way she handled it was surprising. I admired the way she used the things that the boys were saying to insult them, and the intensity of the scene was only enhanced when Walt decided to intervene. Walt pretending to reach for his gun and pulling out his hand instead was definitely unexpected, but still has the same effect on us and the boys (although it made us chuckle). This is one of the scenes that makes us like Walt and reinforces his title as the "lovable bigot".
2. If I met Walt, I'd most likely react to him the same way I react to all bigots. I'd be sad that he had that much hatred in him, and I'd go out of my way not to associate with him again. As a person watching the movie, I like Walt in some ways. After all, he does think about other people from time to time. And although he is racist and a bigot, he seems to be somewhat open to changing his opinions. The Lor family seems to be growing on him—he did beat up one of the members of Thao's cousin's gang for ha reasoning him on the way home from work. However, if we're to meet Walt in real life I believe my opinion would be very different. I don't think I would have the same patience that Thao and Sue have with him, and I would most likely dislike him because I knew for a fact that he was extremely prejudiced. I wouldn't want to be Walt's daughter, especially if it meant I had to be a sister and a sister-in-law to Walt's selfish son and daughter-in-law. Having to grow up in a household with a man that harbored that much hatred would no doubt take its toll on the way I perceived the world. Based off of the hints that Walt has dropped throughout the movie so far, I would guess that Walt must have done something terrible in the war that made him the way he is today. At one point, he says something along the lines of "It's not about what you're ordered to do, it's about what you're not ordered to do." This me gives the impression that Walt killed/tortured someone in the war that he wasn't ordered to kill/torture. We can't know for sure yet, but I'm guessing it's something along those lines.
3. Walt and Chris Kyle are clearly alike in that they both did unspeakable things in war. They are also alike in that they both have detached themselves from their families. Granted, Kyle didn't start out that way, but they both ended up that way. They are both traumatized by what they did in war. It makes me wonder if, like Kyle, Walt will find a way to cope with those feelings.
I have really enjoyed this movie. I think it’s hilarious and incredibly entertaining. For a while, I wasn’t exactly sure what the film is about. However, as I watched more of the film I came to the conclusion that it’s about a man reluctantly being a hero to a boy who desperately needs it. While the Hmong “actors” don’t exactly deliver the best performances, they make the film feel more authentic. There have been quite a few memorable scenes. The one that sticks with me most is when Walt’s spoiled granddaughter, Ashley, asks Walt to give her his beloved Gran Torino and a couch on the day of his wife’s funeral. I love to hate characters and her insensitivity and entitlement make Ashley quite hateable.
ReplyDeleteWalt certainly has his views. Though I don’t agree with the majority of them, I do appreciate and respect how up-front and brutally honest he his. He’s hilarious and deep down, he is a decent man. I love Walt as a character, but I would not want him to be my father because he is so hard to please and tends to push people away. On top of the war, I think Walt acts the way he does because he is a product of his time, but also because he is grieving the loss of his beloved wife.
For the most part, Walt and Chris are different men. However, what makes them similar are their black and white views of the world and the fact that they are both protectors. Kyle puts his life on the line to protect his fellow troops in Iraq. While we have no proof, we can infer that Walt did the same in Korea. While Walt doesn’t risk his life to protect Thao, he does put his racist views aside to protect him from the gang and help him become a man.
1. Love this movie. It is definitely my favorite movie so far. I like how it smoothly mixes humor with serious issues. Also, let me say, Walt is such a badass, and I love it. I also liked how "Frog," as Walt would call him, made things right with Walt even with the fact that he tried to steal Walt's car. Their relationship is very complex and has many sides, and I'm surprised it even formed. Walt's character has stuck with me all weekend because he is likable with out trying to be and isn't an emotional person. Walt is the stereo typical badass.
ReplyDelete2. As I said, I really like Walt even if he is a racist and bigot. I believe that his racist and serious side both contribute to the humor of the film. Also, if Walt was a completely normal guy we wouldn't like him. He wouldn't stand out. He wouldn't be a "character." If I hadn't seen Walt's son I would want to be his son. Walt obviously doesn't give his son enough love, but maybe the new Walt that is forming in the film would be a better father who taught good morals, life lessons, and handy skills. I think the war contributes to the fact that Walt is reserved, but perhaps not just that he was in war, but things that he did without being commanded to do. I think Walt probably has trouble living with himself and always is thinking, "I should not have done that. I should have done that differently." I don't believe Walt is a bad man for his conservative ways because I think he is still trying to recognize the things he did and move on. I feel that Walt is living in the present, but his mind is in the past.
3. I feel that there are only a few things that make Chris Kyle and Walt similar, but, they both are reserved, keeping things to themselves, and away from others. For instance, they are both confronted by people who are concerned about their physical condition. Chris with his mind, seeing things and hearing things; and Walt coughing up blood. Help is forced upon both of them. Both of them definitely don't think they are heroes. I find it very interesting that they both went into war and feel as if they aren't heroes. I'm starting to see that theme among "war heroes." They don't see themselves as war heroes.
1. I saw this movie for the first time with my father a few years ago, and I remember it having a huge impression on me. I think it is a good movie overall, but Clint Eastwood’s decision to use amateur actors bothers me. The movie could be so much better if Eastwood casted experienced actors. The actress who plays Sue irritates me. In contrast to Eastwood’s acting, her performance pales in comparison. The last scene we saw on Friday was intense. Walt goes out of his way to deliver justice upon Spider and his fellow gang members for harming Tao. This scene holds some sentimental value because it shows how much Walt cares for Tao, but it’s also funny to see and “old geezer” such as Walt kick ass and take names.
ReplyDelete2. I like Walt. Walt says some terrible things, but I think the viewer excuses his racist comments by saying “he grew up in a time where that was acceptable.” He’s at the point of his life where he has no filter because he doesn’t care what people think of him. Although I think Walt is an interesting character, I don’t think I could live with him. It’s easy to hate Walt’s children, but their behavior as adults is a product of their upbringing. Walt was probably always distant, so they never formed a loving bond with their dad. I bet Walt never had a prominent male figure in his life as a child. He never had anyone to show him how to be affectionate.
3. While watching Gran Torino, I noticed Walt is a heavy tobacco and alcohol user. Like Chris Kyle, Walt always has a beer in his hand and a mouthful of tobacco. In both Gran Torino and American Sniper, Walt and Chris’ alcoholism is never questioned. If you really think about it, drinking 10 beers in one afternoon alone is concerning. Why do they both turn to these substances? Obviously, they are looking for an escape, but what are Walt and Chris escaping from. Could it be the responsibility of being a father?
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ReplyDeleteSo far I think the movie is very interesting and entertaining. I especially think the racism that is shown by Walt against Asians are pretty funny but I believe that they hold a deeper meaning. He fought in the Korean War so I think that his racism is due to his experience in the war. Something this is pretty annoying I find is Tao's acting. The actor who plays him sounds like he is just reading something. It's like random words are just coming out of his mouth. The most impactful scene to me was the scene when Tao got beat up after work. I found it very interesting how the gang that tried to welcome him beat the hell out of him.
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I like Walt a lot. I think that the way that he says whatever is on his mind is pretty funny. Like I said earlier with the racism thing. I would have to agree with what Johnny wrote in his blog post. I enjoy him in the movie because it is just a movie, but of I knew him of was spoken to like that by him, I would be very offended. That is something I am kind of confused about. I'm fine with watching him do and say things to people but if it was to me or one of my friends I would have a huge problem.
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I think there is one obvious thing that make Walt and Chris Kyle a like. They are both heavy drinkers. There are two scenes that come to mind. In American sniper, Chris Kyke and his brother are sitting down in their living room and there are tons of empty beer bottles everywhere. In Gran Torino, the scene that comes to mind is the one where Walt is sitting on his front porch smoking and drinking tons of beer. Something that I thought about how they are different is that Chris Kyle drinks a ton before he ever tries to join the military. Walt kowalsky drinks a lot after the war. So the affects of PTSD and war in general are not a similarity.
1. I really love the movie thus far. It is such an interesting story that I love so dearly. I like the way Walt and his Hmong neighbors interact and how it has changed and developed. The one scene that really stuck with me was when Walt went to go ask "Toad" for help to lift up the freezer from his basement and "Toad" demands he gets the bottom since its heaviest. It stuck with me because we see this stronger, more demanding side of him. He has been called a girl and other things but this reveals a side of him not many have seen
ReplyDelete2. I personally like Walt. Oh, excuse me, I mean Mr. Kowalski. His way of addressing people and communicating is very direct and crude, at times. I find it really funny and humorous, but if it was said to me, I would definitely take offense to most things he says. I wouldn't want to be his son because I feel like I wouldn't have a super supportive father figure. He would probably be making mean jokes all the time. I would like to be "Toad" if I wanted an influence from Walt though. I feel like he's showing a ton of care for him even if he doesn't want to admit it. Walt is the way he is probably significantly due to the war and the events in it, but also his upbringing. We aren't given much back story on him, so there is a possibility that his father was similar in nature and personality.
3. I feel like Chris and Walt are similar on different levels. They react similarly in certain situations. Like in the scene with Chris' daughter was crying in the hospital and he gets mad at the lady for not caring for her. And whenever someone steps on walt's lawn without permission he gets really angry, even pulling out his shotgun a couple times. Another similar aspect is how calm they can be in situations. With how Chris doesn't flinch and gunshots at his buddy's funeral while the entire crowd does. And how Walt said he could blow a hole in one of the gang member's face and sleep peacefully. War haste effect of desensitizing people to certain things and those are things only war can do to someone.
~Nick
1. So far the movie is very entertaining, which is kind of confusing to me because the plot honestly seems so dull compared to almost every movie I've ever seen. There is no explosive action which is common in everything from romantic comedies to fast and furious nowadays, but the message the movie is trying to get across is much more in-depth and not as upfront as a lot of modern cinema. I think that this makes the movie much better as it is a bit of a thinker similar to 'Wendy and Lucy', which I saw in John's class last year.
ReplyDelete2. I really dislike Walt. A big part of this movie in my opinion is that we are supposed to dislike him! He is a racist bigot, rude to all of his neighbors with a terrible outlook on life. I definitely would not want to be his son or daughter because i'm sure he would be mean to me, but I don't think that his real son is doing a very good job. One of the reasons for Walt's bitterness is the fact that his family takes him for granted and clearly only likes him for his money. Another reason for his bad attitude is his rough experience in war.
3. By far the biggest similarity between Walt and Chris are the fact that both of them were veterans and massive patriots. They both spent time in war and it really changed both of their lives. A major difference between them is that Walt is a bigot and Chris was not (at least anywhere near to Walt's extent). People love Chris and everybody in Walt's life hates him.
This is hugo by the way, the name thing might be broken.
1. I really enjoy the movie. This is my first time seeing it, and it came out swinging. Walt has the exact kind of humor that I find to be so entertaining, and Eastwood's delivery is nearly flawless. The scene where he pulls the girl from the three men who were harassing her had stayed with me the most. It's both humorous and suspenseful, and the acting was pretty good too.
ReplyDelete2. I really like Walt. Maybe it's only because he hasn't insulted any group or race that I identify with yet, but as of now, he is a lovable old bigot, like many members of the greatest generation seem to be. I wouldn't necessarily like to be his son, though. He seems to be distant from his family in a day that seems humorous or entertaining from the outside looking in, but is really stressful and hard to deal with on the inside. No thank you. I think accidentally driving away his family, mixed with the death of his wife and friends, has turned him into the pessimist we know and love. Loss can do awful things to a person, and Walt certainly has had his fair share of horrors, too. Those two terrible things mix in a quite ugly way, and Walt is the incarnate.
3. Walt and Chris Kyle both drive people away from them, without meaning to. People who care about them, and for their well being. They don't appreciate it as much, and tend to focus on what they think is right. Given, Kyle fights for his country, and Walt, from what we see of him, fights to keep the Koreans from coming on his property. Clearly, Kyle and Walt have both see horrible atrocities in a war zone, and carry that with them every single day.
1. I really like the movie so far, its very entertaining and Eastwoods character is really cool and exiting. I like Walts demeanor and the way he responds to situations. He reminds me of a classic american grandpa that would work for everything he owned and give everyone lessons that he thinks will build them into being a better person. I don’t like Walts family they all see like selfish people that just linger enough around Walts life to benefit from the money and things he had. When Sue was being harassed by the men on the corner and walt drove up and shoved his gun in their faces to save her really showed me Walts true nature. It made me think he doesn’t care about what could happen to him as long as he is doing the right thing.
ReplyDelete2. I think the reason he acts the way he does around people who aren’t of his ethnicity is coping from the horrific actions in war. I like Walt, I don mind his racist remarks but this could just be because they are not directed towards me. in some cases I think he takes it to far but others are just playful which make him come off as a funny guy, which he is. Everyone loves someone who is funny. I don’t think I would want to be his son just because he says he never had a good relationship with his kids. I would want to be close to my father but it would be very hard if he had come back from war with blood on his hands and seen things he didn’t want to have seen.
3. Both Walt and Chris suffered from PTSD when they came back from war making each of them separate from there families and become more reserved. Both of them are heroes and would risk their lives for the greater good for not only their country but for their friends and family. Walt ultimately ends up sacrificing him self so that Thoa and Sue would live a worry free life. Chris never sacrificed his body but he did sacrifice his families happiness for the greater good of his country and them men he was fighting hand and hand.
1. So far a have enjoyed watching Gran Torino and can't wait to finish it on Monday. I find the humor in the movie to be all racial things that I do not normally laugh at but find them funny in this film, I also can't figure out why his family hates him so much. One thing that has stuck with me is how he continues to cough up blood and I'm interested in finding out why.
ReplyDelete2. I have found that I laugh at most of his racial jokes and not quite comfortable with doing so, I don't know why his family treats home the way he does just as I don't understand why my mom thinks that her mom is crazy as well. I do like Walt and hope he does not die soon. I would be ok with Walt being my father because I know he would be there to protect me the way he did for Todd and his sister. Well war most definitely has shaped the way he is in a big way, but I also believe that the way his neighborhood has been taken from him and that everything used to be American is now foreign and the way that no one takes care of their problems really has mad him a mad old man.
3. They are both seen as heroes, Chris is seen as a American hero on a bigger stage and Walt is seen as a hero to his small community for saving the two children from the gang activity and taking Todd under his wing. Also they are both war veterans dealing with some major PTSD. Neither of them will ask for help and believe that they can do it on their own. Along with both of them being true American men, wanting this made by Americans and don't like foreign shit, as well they bite like to enjoy a nice dip and a cold beer.