EASTWOOD responds to a national yearning for a vision of individual action and initiative,

personal responsibility, and potential for renewal. An iconic director and star for his westerns,
urban thrillers, and adventure stories, Eastwood has taken film art to new horizons of meaning
in a series of masterpieces that engage the ethical and moral consciousness of our times,
including Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and Mystic River. He revolutionized the war film with
the unprecedented achievement of filming the opposing sides of the same historic battle in
Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, using this saga to present a sharply critical
representation of the new America that emerged out of the war, a society of images and
spectacles.

GRAN TORINO Worksheet (2008)

What do we learn about the auto industry?
What issues impact Walts relationship with his children/grandchildren?
Describe Walts changing attitude to his neighbors? Why does it occur?
What role does Walts past play in his present? Americans international past?
Walt uses a lot of racial slurs. Discuss his racial interchange with his barber?
Why does Clint lock Thao up at the end?
Discuss the ending, its symbolism and context in terms of Eastwoods reputation as an
actor or director ? (e.g. Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Mystic River. [--Look up on YouTube
Unforgiven (1992) Its a hell of a thing killing a man] and ending of Mystic River

Thinking about our discussion on Taxi Driver, how does Grand Torino
compare?
Is there Responsibility? Vigilantism?
[There are the sheep, the wolves, and the sheepdogs (American Sniper, quote from
character modeled after Chris Kyle (4 tours of duty ) & suffers Post-Traumatic War
Syndrome. ]
How does Detroit look? Does it have different looks?
Examine production details: Look up Malpaso, (Clints Film Company)
See Michigan film initiatives in Last Days of Detroit part4(?)
www.astronautmagazine.com/3-acres-in-detroit-an-interview-with-nora-mandray

CORKIN QUESTIONS
What evidence do we have that Detroit is in decline?
Detroits case is similar/different from Atlanta, (Coke country). How?
Speculate why Detroits nadir was 40s yrs. later than NYs?
What are the signs of globalization and its impact on the city/auto industry?
Give evidence for further decentralization of film.
Is there a glimmer of hope?