The film gran torino is a very inspiring and serious film about a widower Walt Kowalski, a Vietnam veteran who after his wife dies becomes isolated from his family and community. Left as the only remaining white male in his neighborhood he becomes prejudice and bias towards the Hmong family that has moved in next door. The community becomes flushed with violence and gangs and he is forced to deal with the changes. The film touches on so many different aspects of Interpersonal Communications.
Not only does it focus on the differences between micro cultures in Walt’s community but also on aspects such as stereotyping, standpoint theory and the halo effect. Stereotyping is one of the obvious themes provided in the film. A stereotype is a set of inaccurate, generalizations about a group. Often time’s stereotypes are an overly bias and oversimplified opinion or image. When the Hmong family moves in next door, Walt stereotypes them as unfit for his neighborhood. He looks at their untidy yard and grimaces, as his yard is spotless and well kept.
Being a Vietnam veteran Walt views the white race as superior and dominant. The Hmong family is viewed as barbaric culture in his eyes. Another theory provided in the Film “Gran Torino” is the stand-point theory. This theory concerns the authority made by people’s knowledge and the power such authority has to shape people’s opinions in daily life. This theory’s most important concept is that a person’s own perspectives are shaped by their experiences in social locations and social groups.
The Essay on Gilbert Film Family Issues
The film 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' encompasses many issues that answer that question. There are countless issues that bother Gilbert in the film which are hassling him and are hindering him from living a 'normal' life. Issues such as the amount of responsibility he has, the fact that he can't leave Endora, his relationships with Becky and his affair with Mrs Carver are all frustrating and ...
Walt has spent years in the Vietnam war and was conditioned to respond quickly and violently to certain situations. When Sue and Tao, Walt’s neighbors were being harassed by the Hmong gang outside of his property his first reaction was to reach for his gun and threaten the gang to get off his lawn or he will shoot. In his perspective his reaction and actions were correct because he was conditioned in the war to react that way.
While the priest who was assigned to what over Walt by his wife before she passed did not agree on his actions and told him he was wrong. Walt’s stand point will always remain the same. The halo effect is another theme in the film “Gran Torino”. The halo effect is a mental bias in which one’s judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by one’s overall impression of him or her. The best example of this would be Walt’s neighbor Tao. In the beginning of the film Walt does not like Tao for many reasons.
One of the obvious reasons is Walt caught Tao trying to steal his gran torino as part of a gang initiation. Walt’s impression of Tao is viewed as a weak and uneducated boy. Walt gets this impression from watching Tao in many situations. When the Hmong gang comes to Taos house trying to get him to join the gang he doesn’t stand up for himself. Tao has little self-esteem and doesn’t think very highly of himself. Walt watches as Tao gets harassed by the Hmong gang day by day.
In another reason why he views Tao this way is because he refuses to ask a girl who likes him out on a date. This causes Walt’s impression of Tao to be negative. The film carried many themes about cultural differences and interpersonal communications. The film has a positive effect on its viewers. In the end of the film Walt ends up becoming friends to Sue and Tao and more or less like a father figure to both of them. He becomes wrapped up in the Hmong family’s life and ultimately sacrifices himself to keep them safe.
