Brynne Valla--Student Choice #2

Last week I watched the film "Gran Torino" starring Clint Eastwood. The film begins with Walt at the funeral of his wife. A priest comes up to him and tells him that Walt's wife, Dorothy, desired that Walt would attend confession. Walt, a cynical, gruff man, told the priest that he desired no such thing, not even if it was his wife's last wish.
While all this is occurring, Walt's neighborhood is experiencing an overhaul. Hmong refugees are occupying most of the neighborhood, and make it very clear that they want Walt to sell his house and move out. Walt, being the stickler that he is, refuses and over the course of the movie, he starts to open up to the refugees.
Most notably, Walt involves himself in his neighbor's affair when the daughter is beaten and raped by a gang. Her brother seeks vengeance and Walt promises that the family will have it. However, he does so in an unexpected way. Whereas before, Walt had been quick to pick up one of his many guns to solve a problem, he goes to the gang's hangout completely unarmed. He pretends as though he is about to pull a weapon, and as he does this, the gang fires on him relentlessly. Walt dies with his lighter in his outstretched hands, with blood collecting in his palms and running down to his feet.
In this instance, Walt resembles Jesus on the cross. Though he does not have nails in his hands or feet, his body is positioned in the same manner and the blood collects in spots the nails would be. Additionally, the lighter alludes to Christ being the "light of the world." Throughout the film, cameras lingered on the lighter and discussion centered on Walt's lighter. It seems appropriate that Walt dies with the lighter in his hand, as the redeemer to his neighbors and anyone terrorized by the gang.
Although Christianity is represented in the film (primarily in the relationship he has with the priest who tries to get him to confession) the movie as a whole does not emphasize these points. Rather, the plight of the refugees seems to be the main point. It is interesting that a crotchety old white guy is their redeemer when he seemed the most likely to help anyone but himself.