Clint Eastwood to Play Racist in Upcoming 'Gran Torino'

There's a great profile on Clint Eastwood over at USA Today. It delves into his recent work as a director, and there's no question Eastwood sort of reinvented himself with Mystic River back in 2003. That film and two of his next three were multiple Oscar nominees, and he has two Best Pictures in a row, with River and Million Dollar Baby. Of course, the best movie of that group might be the last one we saw, Letters from Iwo Jima.

His latest is Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie. It's in theaters this month. Then Eastwood has Gran Torino, in which he also stars. All of a sudden, that film is coming out in December.

"I don't know why," says Eastwood. "I was perfectly satisfied with (Gran Torino) coming out next year, and (Warner Bros.) said we need it in December. I said OK … Now I guess I don't have to worry next year about having anything out. That's great."He hasn't acted since Million Dollar Baby, which he said would be his last on-screen performance. But he does sound strangely electrified by the opportunity in Gran Torino.

"I'm a weirdo in it. I play a real racist. … It's a great time in life (to do that) because, you know, what can they do to you once you're past 70? There's nothing they can do. But it also has redemption. This Hmong family moves in next door, and he has been in the Korean War, in the infantry, and looks down on Asian people and lumps everybody together. But finally they befriend him in his time of need because he has no relationship with his family."

So at 78, Clint the Squint has made two movies in a year in two of the past three years. You don't see a lot of directors half his age work at that pace."Everybody thinks (two back-to-back films) is a big deal, but they did it all the time in the old days. John Ford would make two or three films a year, like (Howard) Hawks or these guys," Eastwood explains. "Of course, they were contractees a lot of the time," he adds. "They'd go from one to the other. And while they're shooting one they'd come back and look in on the editing of the other and say 'Change this and change that.' Then they'd walk back and shoot what they're shooting."Sounds like business as usual for the only filmmaker I can think of who got better in his 70s.

Comments

[Kometman]

FIRST!

[Matt]

I can't wait till I'm that old. Then I'll be invincible. No one will be able to do anything to me either?

[Tony B.]

too marvelous for words!

[mike]

fuckin honkys hopefully all of you will burn in hell sooner if not later silly white trash.