Hollywood Vigilante Clint Eastwood

14 February 2009

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Clint Eastwood has won five Academy Awards and starred in more than 60 films, but says his career is perfectly summed up by his latest character: "one old bigot".
The 78-year-old actor plays Walt Kowalski, a grumpy, bitterly racist Korean War veteran in 'Gran Torino', a drama he directs and stars in.

"I couldn't think of anyone who was more right for this character than I was, at least on the surface of it, because of the history of the characters I've played," Eastwood said. "This one sort of sums it all up; one old bigot and his family."
The role was so perfect it brought Eastwood out of the self-imposed retirement he announced at the 2004 premiere of 'Million Dollar Baby', the Academy Award winning film he directed and starred in.

"I've said that a few times, and I always renege on my promise," he said. "When 'Million Dollar Baby' came along, I thought this was a character I could play; I was the right age, et cetera.

"After that film, I thought: 'That's enough of that. I'll stay behind the camera from now on.' But then this came along."
'Gran Torino' tells the story of Kowalski, a retired Polish American car assembly line worker and war veteran who hates almost everyone - especially his "spoiled and self-absorbed" sons and their families.

His wife has just died, but Kowalski is far more upset by the changes in his Detroit neighbourhood - once populated by all-American car industry workers, it is now home to hundreds of Hmong immigrants from South East Asia.

But while he is disgusted by the "invasion" of "g***s", Kowalski is happy to live out his days on his porch, drinking cheap beer, smoking cigarettes and muttering racist insults to himself - until his teenaged neighbour changes everything.

Pressured by a local gang, Thao - played by 17-year-old Hmong actor Bee Vang - tries to steal Kowalski's prized 1972 Gran Torino Sport.
Kowalski scares Thao off with his old army rifle but a few days later, he reluctantly comes to the boy's rescue when the gang return to beat him up.

The old man insists he just wanted to get the "g***s" off his property, but his heroism has unexpected consequences - Thao's family force him to work for Kowalski to atone for his attempted theft.

In a classic movie plot line, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth, getting him a job and teaching him how to defend himself, unwittingly drawing himself deeper into the life of Thao's family.

But I like being behind the camera so much that I wouldn't miss it if I didn't do it again. I probably wouldn't have done it again if this little fable hadn't come to the surface.Eastwood

Before long, Kowalski and the gang are locked in a violent street war. When it becomes clear the gang will destroy his young friend, the old man takes drastic action to resolve the situation.

With its frequent use of racial slurs and prejudiced protagonist, 'Gran Torino' was rejected by many Hollywood studios, but Eastwood saw huge potential.

He bought the script and shot the film in just 32 days. It premiered in the US just six months later on December 12, 2008.
Since then, it has made more than $113 million, making it Eastwood's highest-grossing box office film.
It reached number one in America and Australia, was nominated for several awards - including a Critics' Choice award and a Golden Globe Award - and was named one of the 10 Best Films of 2008 by the American Film Institute.

Critics have praised Eastwood's performance, likening his portrayal of the weathered, flawed "action hero" to his most famous character Dirty Harry.

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