Gran Torino Film Analysis Essay

Intercultural communication normally frames our cultural understanding in a way that will not undermine hope and the new ways of understanding each other. If we don’t solve this on time, our future generations will also condemn the societies for prolonged war and suffering with regard to effects of intercultural communication.

After losing his wife, Walt Kowalski was left with spoiled children and grandchildren, cigarettes, Pabst Blue Ribbon and his 1972 Gran Torino. Walt was retired from the military after serving in the Korean war. In the beginning of the movie Walt appears to be disgruntled, racist and tough-minded. He was not ecstatic that a Hmong family was moving into his deceased neighbors house. Meanwhile, the Hmong family next door faces some challenges of their own. Brother and sister, Thao and Sue are settling into their new lives in America, when their cousin, gang member “Spider”, starts harassing Thao. Spider pushes Thao to initiate into his gang by stealing Walt

To give a bit of an overview, the movie “Gran Torino” was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood who also starred in the movie. This movie highlights the modern conditions surrounding many aspects of intercultural communications. Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowolski whose wife just died and who is a Korean War veteran. He has a difficult time getting along with people do not hold the same views or values that he does. He lives in an era that he doesn’t understand and lives close to many Hmong immigrants and in a neighborhood with a lot of violence and gangs.

Racism is a big problem in society today. In the movie Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski is an old, white, retired auto worker. He lives in a neighborhood, in which Latinos, Blacks, and Asians have moved in and brought teen gangs with them. In this change it brings out his prejudice views against everyone, specifically the Asian people due to his time served in the Korean War. This essay will utilize racism, class conflict and the sub Theories to analyze Gran Torino.

The two conflicts of “Seventh Grade” and the “Melting Pot” are both very different from one another. In “Seventh Grade” the conflict is internal. However, in “Melting Pot” the conflict is external. They both are based around diverse things. They each take place between different groups of people. In “Seventh Grade” the narrator is a boy with internal conflicts who has a crush on a girl; while in “Melting Pot” the main conflict is external among other people because they all argue about things that don’t matter. This essay will explain if and how the conflicts have winners.

This also shows some the Hmong people’s value of respect when one of their own cause trouble to a respected another. When Walt is invited to Thao’s family barbeque, we are introduced to the type of food they prepare and what is based in their culture. The

In the scenes “Inevitable Disappointment” and “I Confess,” the use of camera angles and character dialogue show that Walt, like Thao, is an outcast within his own family. At the beginning of the scene Walt’s family arrive at the funeral late, which is a huge sign of disrespect not only to the spouse grieving for the loss of his loved one, but also to Dorothy, these very kids mother and grandmother who passed away. As the family files in, the close-up camera shots are pointed at each child as the come up to say the benediction. This camera shot focuses on the first two grandchildren’s clothes. The first boy is wearing a brightly colored jersey and the girl, Ashley, is wearing a crop top and mini skirt. These two outfits show disrespect to Walt

Bowe, H. J. & Martin, K. (2007). Communication across cultures: Mutual understanding in a global world. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Walt Kowalski is one of the first characters we are introduced to in the movie. He is an army vet and has recently lost his wife. Walt is “conservative and old fashion”, and due to his preconceived views on different cultural groups is not accepting towards his neighbors. One of the first cultural conflicts that arise is actually

The 2008 movie “Gran Torino” starring Clint Eastwood is filled with an abundance of cultural diversity, which is met with much resistance, stereotype, and prejudice by the movies’ main character, Walt Kowalski. Walt’s world is changing; his Detroit neighborhood is decaying, his relationship with his sons is distant, and his Korean War memories continue to destroy his ability to fully enjoy life. Through an unlikely bond with the Hmong children next door, Walt finally receives redemption by coming face-to-face with the same destructive prejudices consuming neighborhood teenage gang members

The first time the audience witnesses Walt fully shed his hatred for his neighbors, occurs when he helps Thao transition to becoming a man and getting a construction job. Then, out of the blue, Thao begins acting different for some days, and reveals his cousin jumped him and stole his tools. At this point Walt steps into the role not only as a kind neighbor, but also a protector when he retaliates on behalf of Thao. Though what he does is courageous and righteous it ultimately leads to the rape of Sue, and shooting of his neighbors

Gran Torino is a 2008 film directed and produced by legendary actor Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film. The story follows Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean war veteran who lives in a crime-ridden Hmong neighborhood in Detroit. The film takes up issues anyone with an aging family member confronts, including widowhood, isolation and the meaning of work and retirement. Gran Torino opens with the funeral reception for Walt’s wife. His family thinks he is grumpy, bitter, and mean. Some family members even discuss his apparent eminent death and how they plan to dispose of his property, particularly his beloved Gran Torino. Walt’s anguish does not end there. His son, Mitch and his wife Karen believe Walt should move into a retirement home. Living in a rapidly changing world, Walt is aggravated when Hmong immigrants move next door. His racial intolerance is evident and he is resentful of everything he sees around the neighborhood, including the condition of the houses and gangs of Hmong, Latino, and African Americans. Walt uses words such as “gooks” and “low life” to describe them (Eastwood, Berger, Lorenz, & Schenck, 2008). One day, Walt’s teenage neighbor, Thao attempts to steal his cherished Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation, Walt catches him and puts an end to the aspiring thief. As they both develop and unlikely friendship, Walt realizes that Thao cannot be free to live his own life while the gang continues to harass him. It is then that Walt

Q. What kind of man is Walt Kowalski? Examine character development throughout the film Gran Torino?

Intercultural communication is commonly explained as an interaction between people of 'different cultures whether defined in terms of racial, ethnic or socioeconomic differences.' Human communication consists of verbal and nonverbal messages (language and gestures) which are shaped by gender, social class or culture. Thus, what perimeters define the intercultural exchange and what primary messages do we need or try to convey?

The world today is characterized by an ever growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In the process of globalization, the relationship between people differ racially, ethnically, nationally, and regionally. These groups become such a normative thing and seen as a good sign of a process of integration and social diversity. It is important for one to experience intercultural communication. It can help society grow in knowing different elements of different cultures. It can help create a positive awareness of our own and others cultures, by being able to observe similarities and differences in cultural behaviors, attitudes, and experiences. I have recently been able to experience intercultural communication with Central Washington University’s AUAP students. Once a week I would go into an AUAP classroom and help them with the classroom activities. This experience allowed me to get over my uncertainty avoidance and self- disclose information with the AUAP students in order to connect with them more. Before going into the classroom, I was very anxious and uncertain of what might happen during my time with the students. After I met them I felt more reassured that they were very nice and it was going to be a good experience for me to volunteer in their classroom. This then led to self- disclosed information being exchanged between the AUAP students and myself. After some information was disclosed