17 Years Later, Clint Eastwood’s 10/10 Drama Is Still 1 of the Darkest Crime Movies of the 2000s

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Clint Eastwood first became famous as a Western film star, but he later proved himself to be a remarkably talented director. He moved beyond the Western genre and became a celebrated filmmaker known for powerful storytelling. Two of his most acclaimed films, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, were both released in the 2000s. His 2008 drama is also considered a standout and an important film.

Although often overshadowed by other Clint Eastwood films, Gran Torino remains a powerful and unforgettable drama. Many consider it Eastwood’s most daring work, fearlessly addressing difficult social issues and blending different film styles. Even now, Gran Torino stands out as a particularly intense and bleak crime film from the 2000s.

Gran Torino is a Deep Exploration of Humanity, Race, Class and Trauma

The most striking thing about Clint Eastwood’s 2008 film, Gran Torino, is its powerful underlying message, beautiful filmmaking, and surprisingly nuanced performance by Eastwood himself. It stands out from his previous work, like Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Changeling, as a film few anticipated he would make.

This period marked the height of his career, with one successful film after another. He consistently moved audiences deeply through his work. Considering that Gran Torino could be his best film is a significant achievement, largely due to the film’s powerful story and the challenging issues it explores throughout.

The film tells the story of a Hmong teenager whose life changes when he meets an older man. Beneath the simple plot lies a deeply moving personal story that explores important social issues like prejudice, racial tension, trauma, guilt, and the gap between social classes. The connection between these two characters could be one of the most powerful and emotionally affecting relationships seen in films from the 2000s.

The story begins with Thao, a troubled teen, attempting to steal a classic 1972 Gran Torino. However, it quickly evolves into a deeper exploration of what it means to grow up, take responsibility, and find meaning in life. While it follows Thao’s journey to adulthood, Gran Torino is also a story about a man discovering himself and ultimately changing for the better.

Thao is still figuring out how to navigate life, but his friendship with Walt, a Korean War veteran, proves helpful for both of them. Walt, haunted by past traumas and the difficulties of war, struggles with feelings of guilt, anger, and prejudice.

It’s not surprising that Walt lives in a neighborhood with a large Asian-American population, forcing him to face his own biases. It seems destined that he meets Thao, and through their connection, Walt begins a journey of self-discovery, working through his own issues to find meaning and a new outlook on life.

Walt becomes a father figure and friend to Thao, helping him navigate the difficulties of growing up poor and figuring out what’s right. In their neighborhood, simply surviving is the main goal, and people are judged by how far they’ll go to make it, regardless of the consequences.

Many young people today lack the mentorship Thao finds with Walt, which is why the story powerfully examines issues of race, class, and what it means to be human. Walt and Thao aren’t so different – mainly, they’re separated by age and life experience. Ultimately, the film delivers a touching and meaningful message.

Gran Torino Turns Into One Of the Darkest Crime Movies In Recent Years

Due to its deep thematic exploration of class, there’s naturally an element of criminality that is also explored in Gran Torino. Like other desperate communities in America, the Hmong community that surrounds Walt Kowalski is corrupted by an underworld presence. This presence is both frightening and alluring to young impressionable individuals like Thao, who gets caught up with a local gang and starts involving himself in criminal acts because of it. It takes a specific kind of person to be a explores this in Gran Torino. While understanding that criminality does derive from places of desperation, there’s a clear distinction between characters like Thao and characters like “Spider.”

Eastwood suggests that while some individuals simply need a little guidance, others seem predisposed to criminal behavior. He delves into the psychology of criminals through the character of Spider, a particularly ruthless gangster featured in early 2000s films.

More than anything, Thao needs to escape the life Spider has him trapped in, and it won’t be easy. Spider and his crew are the reason Thao even attempts to steal Walt’s car. From the moment Thao considers changing his ways, he puts himself in danger.

Throughout the story, Thao and Walt share a strong connection and help each other grow as individuals. However, this closeness also forces them to confront their own internal struggles.

Walt’s difficult experiences from his past lead him to form unfair opinions about his Hmong neighbors. These biases are essentially his own inner struggles resurfacing. While his war trauma and PTSD present significant personal challenges, he has the opportunity to overcome them by building a meaningful friendship with Thao.

Thao, like Walt, is haunted by his past, which resurfaces as he joins the Spider gang. Unlike Walt’s history, Thao’s is more immediate and involves dangerous outside forces, creating intense conflict. This gives both characters a renewed sense of direction. The Spider gang quickly becomes the central threat, leading to some of the most intense and violent scenes seen in recent dramatic films.

The movie builds to a powerful final showdown – a defining moment for Walt and a life-changing one for Thao. This intense climax, like much of the film, highlights the disturbing nature of the criminal world it portrays. Though the ending offers genuine resolution for the characters, it’s earned through significant action and has lasting consequences, making this a gritty and impactful crime story.

Clint Eastwood Made More Films In the 2000s Than in Any Other Decade

It’s possible that Gran Torino doesn’t stand out as much in Clint Eastwood’s film work because it came during a particularly strong period in his career. Starting with Play Misty For Me in 1971, Eastwood quickly established himself as a successful director, and his extensive work behind the camera has defined how most fans see him. Considering this, by the early 2000s, Eastwood wasn’t a new voice in film – in fact, it was his most productive and successful decade.

As a huge Eastwood fan, I’ve always been impressed by his consistent output – he typically directed around seven or eight films every ten years, starting in the ’70s. But the decade between 2000 and 2009 was something special. He directed nine feature films then, which is the most he’s ever done in a single decade, and a lot of fans – myself included – think it’s where he really hit his stride creatively. It’s just a remarkably strong period in his filmography.

Although he may not have surpassed his earlier success, Clint Eastwood came very close with his work in the early 2000s. He received several Oscar nominations during that decade and even won Best Director for Million Dollar Baby. It’s understandable why Gran Torino sometimes gets less attention, but it remains a truly exceptional film from the 2000s.

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2025-11-21 03:46