Masculinity And Themes In Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino

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Clint Eastwood is a talented director who does not consider himself an auteur. He considers his films to be ensemble projects and has “no interest in having a common style” across them. Clint Eastwood is well known for his unique old school Hollywood style which he portrays in all of his movies. It is to his credibility that his narration is also very easy to follow. He says that the script builds up the style because what he writes dictates his dictatorial style. It’s a technique to build the story more effectively. Eastwood’s films are great examples that the old school style still brings success to the film industry as he continues to create one great movie after another. He started directing just a few years after making his name as an actor back in the 60s where he scored his first lead role. By the mid 70s he was known as a capable director with a consistent and individual style. In the beginning of the …show more content…

This indicates how guns add to a man’s masculinity because of the capability they hold in their hands - life or death. In this particular scene, Sue is ringed and intimidated by a group of thugs. While driving by, Kowalski sees the situation Sue is in and comes to her rescue. The three men do not see Kowalski a menace as he first imitates a gun with his hands, until he pulls a real gun from his belt. Seeing a gun makes them change their opinion of Kowalski from an old harmless man to someone who requires respect. It was entirely just the gun that changed the way Kowalski was viewed from the beginning of the scene to the end of it. As a matter of fact, “guns are [only] inanimate objects capable of doing nothing without the application of a person's will, but the power that the firearm possesses allows men to force others to respect or fear the holder, making them feel

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