Just got off watching this impressive film. Turns out Clint says it's his final acting job, so it has to be compared to 'The Shootist' which was fellow American icon John Wayne's final film.
I actually quite like the shootist. I watched it soon after my Mum died from Cancer and Wayne filmed it knowing he had advanced Cancer. It brought me to tears (as did a few things around then).
In the Shootist wayne tries to make amends for his tough guy image by trying to turn Ron Howard's (yes the director) character away from being a gun fighter, and not staining his soul by killing a man. He however does this by doing the deed himself....
In Gran Torino Eastwoods character ends up in the same position. Trying to stop a Korean kid from being involved in carrying out a revenge attack on the gang that nearly killed his sister.. which he does. However Eastwoods character doesn't have to further validate his hard man image by marching into the Gangs house and shooting them up, which wayne would have insisted upon, as would I'm sure Stallone and Arnie. No Eastwood sacrifices himself knowing that the law would handle it from there, and even though his character in the film is a classic (aged) tough guy. Eastwood doesnt feel the need to reinforce this....
The film is a little smalzy and overly sentimental, but I believe this was planned.
Very impressive. 9/10
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