Talk about aging well… Clint Eastwood has directed on average a film a year this decade, and there’s no sign of stopping. And he has managed to pick up the occasional award on his way. This week sees the release of the trailer for his latest film, Gran Torino, which is due out December 17th.
At a first glance, this film seems a whole lot more appealing than the dull, drab tired story that Changeling seems to be (I mean police corruption, lost children and their desperate mothers, and unfair mental institutions have been done to death in cinema already. Clint must be too busy making movies to watch any of the dozens that cover those issues). For one, it stars Clint himself as a craggy old bastard at odds with his family and even the local wet-behind-the-ears priest. Already it feels more honest than Jolie wailing away with a glimmer of an Oscar in her eyes.
However, there’s somethign potentially subious about the premise. This old war vet bemoans the inclusion of “Chinese” into his neighbourhood, only to unwillingly intervene in some Asian gang terrorising. He bonds with the honest Hmong family and plans to stop the gang that’s hassling them. A simple idea, but does it suggest that Asians, or even immigrants, into the USA are weak and pathetic, and need the help of a good ol’ hard-as-nails white American to save them? The trailer does suggest so. Nevertheless, it looks a lot more engaging than Clint’s last few films, and may get audiences debating as to whether it’s an honest look at inter-racial tensions in the Land of the Free, or whether it’s just Dirty Harry Takes on the Asians.
Popularity: 1% [?]
baesel said
October 27 2008 @ 4:30 am
they’re a Hmong family, not Chinese
eoin ofaolain said
October 27 2008 @ 6:07 am
That’s what I get for reading inaccurate plot descriptions and listening to craggy ol’ Clint.
Kenna McHugh said
October 27 2008 @ 9:50 am
Clint’s a strong actor and director who can hold his own. If he hears racism, he’ll offer a wry smile. I believe he did that for Spike Lee’s accusation at Cannes.
eoin ofaolain said
October 27 2008 @ 12:34 pm
That’s true, I can’t see Clint being fazed by it. He pretty much won the battle against Spike Lee. It’ll be interesting to see the film with racism in mind. I could be wrong, and it could portray the Hmong family to be more than evil/helpless, but let’s see.
Asee said
December 12 2008 @ 1:33 pm
What I learned as an Asian American in US is that nothing good come from Asian being on screen. Movies are writtenw with a white writer’s myopic view on race and that is what’s wrong with Hollywood – too many white males.
noname said
December 30 2008 @ 12:17 am
I saw the movie. This is the most insulting movie to asians. It make seem like idiots unwilling to stick up for themselves and tell Clint that he shouldn’t be saying derogatory comments about their race.
I was expecting Clint to change as he grew fond of the kid but right till the end of the movie he had derogatory nicknames for his asian teen friend.
Eastwood’s turned senile. I would never expect him to make a movie so insulting to EVERY ethnicity out there….most of the insults directed towards asians.
I can’t believe so many people in the entertainment industry don’t see this. The actors who did this movie are insulting their own race. Latins vs. asians…asians vs. latins…blacks vs. whites….whites vs blacks…..etc. etc.
Pathetic. RIP Eastwood.
me said
January 6 2009 @ 7:51 pm
noname makes a good point. Clint is just another hollywood whitebread male racist. It’s funny how you can rarely see an Asian person in a movie these days without them being store clerks, fresh immigrants, stupid, small and weak.
For people who believe all Asians are like this they should come up to Vancouver, Canada where we have a very diverse Asian population. Big, Small, Accents and Perfect English as well. We eat steak and potatoes as well as Pho up here.
DON said
January 19 2009 @ 5:56 pm
What shocked me and disturbed me even more were the cheap laughs the audience was getting from Clint’s racial slurs…
PJ said
February 28 2009 @ 12:16 pm
If a movie bothers me, I don’t go to see it.
haha said
March 11 2009 @ 1:40 am
So far the last few comments about racism are idiotic, and just show how racist you yourself are. He plays an old man, who fought in Korea. Older people are pretty stubborn about changing their ways, and you see this through the whole movie. He calls racist names to everyone in the movie, and he himself gets called an old pollack a couple times. But if you cant see the message behind it and cant look through the “racist remarks” then fine.