gran torino

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GRAN TORINO

Gran Torino is undoubtedly more than a car. It was the pride and joy of its owner – Walt

Walt got Thao a job and bought tools

Home From War

• Walt a retired automobile worker and veteran of the Korean War was deeply troubled and haunted by the ravages and memories of war.

• To him the only thing he lived for was his wife whom he loved dearly, then she died and his life took a miserably ugly turn

• The family saw him as being disappointed

• Walt wanted nothing top do with anybody

• He even wrote off the minister of the community

Other members of Family

• Walt had two sons but there was never a father-son relationship

• Walt was never close to his sons

• He did not know how to

• It bothered him

A Son tried

• On Walt’s birthday one son and wife visited

• They wanted to show Dad that they cared.

• They had a variety of gifts .

• One of the gifts turned Walt off

A Son visited contd.

• Perhaps they knew Dad was not physically well, they offered brochures of something like senior citizen home.

• Walt was furious and threw them out

• He no doubt they wanted his house and whatever he had.

Other Problems

• Apart from the memories of the killings and the conflicts, Walt battled with:-

– Prejudices

– Hatred …. He did not like his neighbors

– Selfishness

– Lonliness

– Culture

– Gangs, etc

Different Encounters

• Walt on several occasions was caught in conflicts with gangs

• He particularly did not like these gang member and more so because of who they were.

• As much as Walt was so grumpy and hated his neighbors, he also hated when anyone was taken disadvantage of

Different Encounters contd

• After sometime Walt showed interest towards a youngster maybe because his cousin was bent on getting him (Thao) in the gang

• The youngster Thao went to steal Walt’s Gran

Torino as initiation to a gang

• A furious Walt grabbed his shot gun and warded off the would be thief

• Walt seems to be caught up in the happenings of this environment

Walt toughens up his Friend Thao

Different Encounters

• He is breaking up fights

• Preventing would be gang rape etc, etc

• Unfortunately Thao’s sister Sue was brutally beaten and Walt was not around – Walt enraged

One Good Deed deserves another

• For being a good Sammerithan, Walt was showered with all sorts of gifts from food to flowers.

• These acts of kindness had some effects and on top of all these the minister was especially nice to Walt

• Father Janovich was only carrying out a promise he made to Walts dying wife

Transformation

• One could say Walt was a new man

• He comingled with most of the people he hated

• Sue and her brother Thao became very close to Walt

• Walt found out through this that his health was failing

Transformation contd

• The warring between the gangs and the neighbors became Walt’s business

• He purposed in his heart to do something

• Walt was converted, he went to confession

• He called the one son who unfortunately had no time for Dad.

• In the end Walt gave his life for the people he once despised.

The End of the Road

• “No greater love as this than a man laid down his life for his friends”

• During the reading of the will there was a shadow of disappointment in the eyes of the family.

• They did not expect what they heard

• The Gran Torino was Thao’s

The End of the Road

• People can change in whatever direction depending on their acceptance of the elements of ones environment.

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