Gran Torino – Opening Scene and Inner Monologue

1.)

The opening scenes of Clint Eastwood’s film “Gran Torino“shows the funeral service of Walt Kowalski’s wife. The scene begins with a fade-in. After this there’s an establishing shot of the church that shows you the place of the whole scene. Then there’s another establishing shot in the inside of the church. This shot is the first one from which we can conclude that a funeral service is held. You see many people sitting on benches and a coffin standing in front of the rows. Now the camera is moving in the middle of the benches and it is moving forwards towards the coffin. Then we see a zoom-in to a medium shot of the picture of Walt’s wife.

After this there is a medium shot of Walt talking to one of the guests of the funeral, an old man. Several reverse-angles shots, over-the-shoulder-shots and also point-of-view-shots are used during their conversation. After this dialogue there is a medium long shot of the first rows of benches while Walt’s family is arriving in the church. The children aren’t wearing clothes you would expect them to for a funeral, especially his granddaughter. Furthermore his sons are talking during a zoom-in to a medium shot of these two people.

After this shot father Janovich arrives. During the first part of his speech a long shot is used in which he, however, is not focused. The fact that nothing is really focused shows the fierce situation between Walt Kowalski and his relationship to church and religion. During this speech, there’s a medium long shot of Walt’s granddaughter who is playing with her cell phone, another sign for her impolite behaviour in a church.

Getting to the end of father Janovich’s speech, there’s a zoom-in to a medium shot of him, maybe because his words gain importance.

The last thing shown is a close-up of Walt’s face looking at all the guests leaving the funeral.

 

2.)

“Oh my god is that boring! I could do so many other things then sitting here. I did even not know my grandmother that well, but maybe I can grow my chance of getting Granddad’s Gran Torino when he dies. Wow, when I look at him now, he seems to have become very old by time. So maybe I’ll get it faster as I think! That would be great. Maybe I can risk a look on my cell phone, I think I got an SMS. Oh, Mum is looking. I hope the priest will stop talking soon, I understand hardly anything. What is life, what is death? I don’t care! I am not that old like all these other people here. I hope it’s finished soon …