Gender Performativity in Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino". The Social Constructions of Identity

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject Sociology - Relationships and Family, grade: 1,0, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, course: Queer Theory, language: English, abstract: To examine how Gran Torino mirrors the discourse on gender identity and how it shows a conservative take on a masculinity crisis, this paper will analyze the movie based on popular positions concerning the topic.

In the confines of his movies narration, Eastwood s portrayal of men and what it tells the viewer about how a man has to behave remained unreflected for most of his career. His iconic depictions of tough male characters could in a sense be interpreted as some of the only resilient entities navigating through uncertain, everchanging America.

In Gran Torino, at the age of 78, we find Eastwood patrolling a newfound border: He tackles and questions the concept of masculinity that defined his career.