Gran Torino Sparknotes

Through the use of character development and cinematography, Sue builds the bridge that bring Walt and Thao together and develop an unbreakable bond between the two. Sue, though a huge controlling force in Thao’s life, had good intentions for him. She did not want him to fall into the typical Hmong American life where boys just end up in jail. She wanted him to forge a new path and pursue a real career. Walt, on the other hand, she showed that not all people are bad, and she gained his respect by going against the norms of his closed off world and brought to light how good of person some people can be. Sue’s treatment of the men these two different ways is what brings them together and helps them click very well. Thao needed to learn how to
be a man, while Walt needed to learn how to be more accepting and let people in. Walt is fully introduced to Thao in the scene where Sue and their mother bring Thao to his’s home and make him work for Walt to repay his debt of trying to steal the Gran Torino.
At first, Walt refuses to let Thao work for him even telling the women, “No he isn’t going to work for me,” (Gran Torino). Walt refuses this proposal for two
reasons. First, he does not trust Thao because Thao tried to steal his Gran Torino. The second reason is because Walt wants to do things by himself. He does not want to rely on someone else doing his work for him. After some coaxing from Sue and her mom Walt accepts because he notices how emasculated Thao is having two women control his life and having no male influence whatsoever. Walt realized Thao needs a man in his life to teach him how to be an independent true man himself.
Thao and Walt, over the next couple of weeks, begin developing a close bond almost like a father and son bond with one another. The first day Thao was supposed to show up for work Walt mutters to himself in shock, “Son of a bitch. I never thought he’d show,” (Gran Torino). Walt’s surprise at Thao showing up shows that Walt was expecting Thao to be another no-good kid you could not trust. Once he saw that Thao did arrive he sees him a better light than he had before. The film goes into a montage of scenes showing each day that Thao works transitioning between focusing on Thao to doing long shots and slowly working up to close-up shots of Walt. In this montage, Walt displays the look of a strong leader or even father who looks proud as he watches Thao grow and work harder with each job he does. Thao learns how to become a man from working and learning from Walt. Both men maybe outcasts within their own families, but the bond Thao and Walt develop is so much better and stronger than the blood bond they share with their families. Because of Sue’s concern for Thao and friendship with Walt, she brought these two men together and lead them to becoming more open and better men than they were
before.