Analysis of The Film Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood

The film, Gran Torino, by Clint Eastwood, follows the life of a Korean war veteran and his relationship with his Hmong neighbors as they battle to overcome the trials that they are faced with. The character that struggles the most in the film with fighting the social norms is Thao. Thao is constantly being pushed by the influences in his life to be their idea of a man. There are two cultures that have an active influence on Thao in the film which are Hmong and American. Within these cultures, Thao has individuals who are attempting to subject him to their notions of masculinity, which are Walt, his family, and the Hmong gang. Thao’s experience with overcoming and sometimes conforming to these influences are put in an interesting perspective when analyzed through a the lens of panopticism. In “Panopticism” by Michel Foucalt, Foucalt believes that society works to mentally control people by creating institutions that act like the panopticon. These institutions, such as church, school, or hospitals, play a major role in subject formation in that they give you signals on what type of behavior and beliefs are acceptable in the society. These institutions are the government’s way of watching and controlling you. We are essentially powerless to escape the social norms our society chooses to adopt. One major institution that plays a huge role in Thao’s life is his family. A family is a socially constructed institution in that it teaches and prepares you for the behavior that is expected in society. Thao’s family is described by his sister, Sue, as “traditional Hmong” and is shown in a scene where Walt comes over for a Bar-B-Que and Sue gives him a rundown of Hmong cultural behavior. Thao is shown in this scene doing housework and c...

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...violence when in fact they themselves are merely just subjects of the system. They believe that they are separate from the influence of the law and government but are truly prisoners in the system, doing what the government expects of them. Spider is in fact losing the notion of masculinity he has by actively participating in the Panopticism system, whether it is unconsciously. We have moral systems, culture, behavioral norms, and socially accepted ways of thinking that control us. No matter where we go or what we do, these cultural patterns follow us. We cannot escape them. Thao was subjected to societies ideas of masculinity and his struggle to conform to these ideals was shown throughout the film. We as people are not inherently anything, our subjectivity is created for us by society and panopticism works as a way to ensure that we are behaving as such.