Ethnocentrism and American Muscle 1
Ethnocentrism and American Muscle
Ethnocentrism and American Muscle 2
Ethnocentrism and American Muscle
A Review of the Film Gran Torino
Ethnocentrism is a universal human condition. As individuals, we are wired to
automatically judge the world around us by our own experience and reasoning first. For many of
us, as we grow and evolve we learn the importance of perspective and when we truly experience
the world, we appreciate the extraordinary value of different perspectives. Clint Eastwood’s
2008 film Gran Torino is the story of a man who failed to develop beyond his limited beliefs and
the serious social issues caused by his extreme ethnocentrism.
Walt Kowalski is an intensely proud and patriotic Korean War veteran and a bigot. He
instantly judges all things right and wrong with everyone and everything through finely honed
