GRAN TORINO

Mr. Kowalsky, an ex-soldier with guilt conscience because all the terrible things he did during the war, lives in a very dangerous neighborhood, where it is normal to have guns and also use them. He lives near a Hmong family, who comes from a Chinese tribe. First of all he doesn’t want to mix with them, because he thinks they are wild, but at the end he realize they are good people and that they have lots of things in common. In this Hmong family there’s Thao, a lovely boy who is confused, and forced by his cousin, tries to steal Mr. Kowalsky’s car, the Gran Torino, a car made by his own hands when he worked in the Ford Company. At the end Mr. Kowalsky discovers Thao, but the boy escapes. When Taho’s mum realizes what he has done, she says he has to help Mr. Kowalsky in everything he needs. The boy has a lot of patience, having in mind that the old man is insupportable. His wife has just died, and although he has two sons, they do not have any relation with their father. That is why he feels alone and with no one to share the last few days he still has of life, because he is very ill. He smokes a lot and he often coughs blood.

Thao helps him to forget about his horrible life and he turns in a real man, thanks to Mr. Kowalsky, who teaches him to act and talk as what he is: a young man who needs to have a job, have fun and go out with girls.

When Thao goes home after one long working day, job that he obviously has because of Mr. Kowalsky’s influence, he runs into his cousin and his street gang. They steal all he is carrying and he also gets hurt.

In that moment, Mr. Kowalsky realizes he has to stop that. He goes to Thao’s cousin house and when there is no one in there, excepting one member of the street gang, he threatens him advertising to let Thao and his family in peace.

The next night, this street band shoots Thao’s house, but hopefully no one gets hurt, excepting Thao’s sister, who is hit very heavily by some members of the street gang.

No more contemplation. Mr. Kowalsky needs to act and he needs to do it as soon as possible. The only way to stop the street gang is imprisoning them. How does Mr. Kowalsky decide to do so? Going all alone to their house and letting them kill him. As fast as you close your eyes and open them again, he is lying on the floor, holding his army lighter.

Thao’s cousin and all his “friends” get arrested and finally, the Hmong family can live in peace.

In the testament, Mr. Kowalsky gives his house to the church, as his wife wanted it to be, and his Gran Torino to Thao, who helped him to live during his last few days of life, and who thought him the real meaning of friendship and love and respect for the others.

This realistic and dramatic film shows how involved can you be with something you really want to be resolved.

Mr. Kowalsky’s life was completely empty when his wife died, and without knowing it, Thao helped him to do things for the others, to help his lovely neighbor family, who only wanted to live in peace, and to stop forever the problem the Hmong family had with that street gang.

Tamara Salort