Clint Eastwood has made some of the most inspirational films that show the power of the human spirit when placed under extraordinary circumstances. Through his vast filmography consisting of dramas, thrillers, and biopics, the actor continuously celebrated unsung heroes and events that created a difference in the world.
Eastwood brought the Hmong-American people to the forefront with his 2008 film Gran Torino. The film had a significant Hmong culture presence and various facets of their people’s lives. Despite Eastwood’s best efforts to present the community with depth and cultural sensitivity, one of his co-stars criticized the film post its release for its alleged racist and stereotypical depictions of Hmong Americans.
Clint Eastwood Got Flak From His Gran Torino Co-Star For Certain Problematic Elements Of The Film
In 2008’s Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood starred as a disgruntled Korean war vet who does not have the best outlook on life and people. He gets constantly annoyed by his Hmong-American neighbors (the character is presented as a racist), but soon develops a close bond with them and becomes their savior. The film had a large Hmong-American cast with some playing major leading roles opposite Eastwood.
The director wanted the film to be as authentic as possible, so he cast real Hmong actors irrespective of their acting experience to play people from their community. The film proved to be a big turning point in the representation of the Hmong community in a mainstream film and received appreciation for taking the necessary steps. The director’s noble intention to increase Hmong people’s visibility backfired as they complained about the racist undertones of the film.
Post its release, the film has become subject to constant criticism and scrutiny for its stereotypical portrayal of the community including various alleged cultural distortions and racist undertones. Eastwood’s co-star in the film Bee Vang questioned his character’s choice to accept racist statements from Eastwood’s character and found certain parts of the film repulsive and insulting. He had this to say in a talk recorded in the Hmong Studies Journal (via Slashfilm),
I was just really repulsed by wh at I read. There were things I couldn’t figure out about the relations between Walt and the Hmong characters. For instance, at some point, Thao tells Walt ‘Go ahead. I don’t care if you insult me or say racist things, because you know what? I’ll take it.’ I didn’t understand why a character like Thao would say that. Why wouldn’t he object to being insulted?
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Vang further pointed out how having Hmong people in the film had no relevance to the story that was being told. To him, the film just needed to have a minority community where the ‘White Savior’ trope was to be implemented. Nevertheless, the film became a hit at the box office, grossing $269 million against a $33 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
Gran Torino Producer Details The Film’s Themes Of Purpose And Unlikely Relationships
The story of Gran Torino mainly focuses on Clint Eastwood‘s character Walt not having the best relationship with his sons and wanting nothing to do with them. On the other hand, Bee Vang’s character Thao does not have a father figure in his life that could guide him properly. When the two meet, they complete each other in the sense that each fulfills what the other is missing in his life.
In an interview on EmanuelLevy.com, the film’s producer Robert Lorenz stated that the film is about this unlikely bond and oddball relationship these two develop throughout the film. The producer further elaborated that the beauty of the film is the newfound sense of purpose that an aged Walt develops once he meets Thao. He said,
Thao doesn’t have a father figure to rely on and give him guidance, and Walt never had a real connection with his own sons. It’s sort of a perfect fit for each of them. [Walt] is searching for someone or something to make sense of it all and to calibrate the value of his life.
In addition to Eastwood and Vang, the film also starred Ahney Her, Christopher Carley, Doua Moua, Brian Haley, Brian Howe, Geraldine Hughes, and Scott Eastwood. Gran Torino is considered by many as one of the director’s best works and is available to stream on Max.