The Representation of Gender in the film "Gran Torino"

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The Representation of Women and Men in the film Gran Torino

Nicola McKinnon

Before current expectations of gender equality, men and women have often had very different perceptions placed upon them due simply to their sex. Women were expected to be compliant, nurturing and passive and societal expectations included marriage and primary responsibility for child rearing. Men were typically expected to be strong, decisive and brave, with the ability to take care of and protect their family. People who did not conform to these stereotypes were often marginalized by society.

Films often represent women and men in ways that challenge the traditional gender roles held by our society. One such film, Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino”, challenges audience’s views about the independence of women and the leadership roles and masculinity associated with men, young and old.

In the film we are presented with four main characters; the older male Walt Kowalski who is a strong and dominant man; the young male Thao Vang Lor, a submissive, feeble man; the older woman Grandmother Phong, the matriarchal leader of the Lor family; and Sue Lor, a free spirited young woman with the courage and will to stand against the aggressive gang culture around her.

Eastwood constructs his female characters to embody ideas of social independence and leadership, which challenges traditional values about women in society. Sue Lor and Grandmother Phong, stand up for themselves against their male counterparts in the film when they try to assert their dominance. This can be seen in the scene where Walt confronts Grandmother Phong, attempting to emphasise his dominance by spitting, traditionally a habit associated with strong men. The expectation is for Phong to back down from the show of dominance, but instead she spits an even larger amount than Walt; a direct signal to the audience of Phong’s sense of equality. Grandmother Phong is the head of the Lor family and the female equivalent of Walt, as Walt is the head of his family. She is often portrayed sitting in a rocking chair on the Lor’s veranda, watching the neighbourhood, and chewing beetle juice, a substance chewed by men in Myanmar to show dominance and leadership. These activities are similar to the activities that Walt is revealed to do, such as drinking beer on the porch and chewing beef jerky, and the similarities shown between the two characters directs the audience to not only equate Phong with Walt’s character, but with the masculinity he displays, and to see female leadership as natural and right.

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We can see that Eastwood means to portray the females of “Gran Torino” as intelligent, quick thinking girls who have the courage to stand up to men when Sue is confronted with Spider’s gang for the first time.

“Spider: This is my little cousin, Sue.

Smokie: Hey, Sue... how old are you, girl?

Sue: Mentally, I'm way too old for you. I'm going inside.

Spider: That’s right, go inside while the men talk.

Sue: Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing, Fong.”

Her snappy, sarcastic comments, even when Spider suggests she should listen to men and leave, which ...

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