Chewing Tobacco Spit (Visual Imagery)
After the Vang Lor family moves in next door, Walt stares at the grandmother of the family while she sits on her porch. Walt's scowl is met with her own disapproving grimace. Walt, who is chewing tobacco, spits brown liquid onto his lawn. The grandmother responds by leaning over the porch and spitting out a much greater volume of brown tobacco spit, causing Walt to wince. In this example of visual imagery, the grandmother's one-upping of Walt shows that she is not intimidated by him while giving the audience a moment of unexpected humor.
Sounds in the Garage (Auditory Imagery)
On the night Thao attempts to steal Walt's Gran Torino, Walt wakes to the sound of something being dropped outside. He sits up and sees a flashlight waving within his garage and knows someone has broken in. In this instance of auditory imagery, the sound of Thao breaking into the garage creates an air of suspense because the audience knows Walt is about to catch Thao in the act.
Coughing Blood (Visual Imagery)
While over at the Vang Lor house for a barbecue, Walt suddenly begins coughing. Sue notices a spot of vivid red blood on the back of the hand he used to cover his mouth. In this example of visual imagery, the sight of the blood contributes to the film's ominous mood because it shows that Walt may be ill with a respiratory condition.
Lakeside Drive (Visual Imagery)
At the end of the film, Thao drives Walt's Gran Torino—now belonging to Thao—down a blue stretch of one of the Great Lakes as Daisy the dog sits in the passenger seat. The serene visual image suggests that Walt's generosity and self-sacrifice have left Thao free to live a peaceful life, safe from the threat of gang intimidation.
