Crash, 2004

The film deals mainly with racism between common people in America. Several plotlines demonstrate various aspects of the issue and also provide different points of view. Regular people are involved in crime, criminals are involved with the police, the police is involved in crime, and the film’s character arcs are some of the most notable in my experience. Several big-name actors have excellent performances in the film, including Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Matt Dillon. The film’s attention grabbing opening involves a philosophical rant by two black car thieves about their occupation and place in society, which sets up their next robbing, which happens to be the DA of the area (Brendan Frasier). The two men conversing on the street were not of the opinion that stealing things was wrong, even if it may be to promote fairness, and they fulfilled many black stereotypes. These stereotypes made the viewer aware of societal perceptions of people and their own perceptions of people. The reaction by those who had their car stolen was one of anger and frustration of the race differences between the parties involved. Both Bullock’s character and Frasier’s character were angry at the men for the simple fact that they were black, and in Bullock’s character’s case, mad that people of different races than their own were involved in more criminal activity in her perception, causing a distrust and animosity towards such groups of people. Over the course of the film, both of these characters’ view on race changes, as Bullock realizes her only real friend is her Hispanic housekeeper and Frasier is subtly revealed to be having an affair with his black assistant. However, a Hispanic locksmith (Michael Pena) is one character who is an onlooker of the racial struggles around him in his neighborhood and a target of racial tension. He seeks to protect his daughter and those who he works for, staying loyal even to those who betray him (Bullock’s character) and those who judge him based on his ethnic background. He reacts appropriately to accusations of him based on his race even keeps his composure when faced with murder out of anger against him because he was distrusted because of his race. Continuing from this, the director illustrated in all of the characters that there was a basic goodness in their ability to disregard race and act for the betterment of others in spite of the racial prejudice inherent in them from their societal influences. A police officer who has disregarded the privacy of a black couple and violated their rights is later shown to have a goodness in him when he saves one of those very same people by knowingly putting his life on the line even when he has the consequence-less option of saving himself and leaving the black woman to die in the crash. In the crash, the woman’s life is risked and can only be saved by one man putting aside his past and acting with his sense of humanity first in his mind. While the film does not end well for all the characters, a bright light is shown on the small window in everyone that allows them to put aside personal hate and prejudice and to help other people. Obviously, the theme is supplemented by an original and enthralling plot, but the theme is the focus of all of the actions in the film. Every scene draws a picture of racism between these people and the film’s great success is based mainly, in my opinion, on the power of these themes and how well they were demonstrated by the masterful filmmaking.

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Dear reader, Until March 12th 2010 this was an actual real review. Because the new design that NetfIix has implemented for movie detail pages removed information about what our friends rated movies, as well as top 10 lists and the ability to send movie notes, I've decided to move my reviews elsewhere. I see no reason to supply NetfIix with free content when NetfIix does not support its users. If NetfIix decides to reverse its stance on this issue, I'll happily bring my reviews back, but until then, this note will take its place. I apologize for the inconvenience, dear reader, and hope you'll forgive this non-review.

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Perhaps I went in with too high of expectations but I found this movie quite disappointing. For being a movie about racism it didnt stop and make me think or really touch me. Dont get me wrong, its a good movie, its just not a great movie. For a great movie about racism that will both touch you and make you think, watch American History X.

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Before you sit down the watch Crash, forget everything you know about it, because whatever you're expecting, you're probably not going to get it. I was worried that Crash would end up being yet another over-hyped, over-praised film. With so many positive reviews and such an amazing cast, I was hoping to enjoy the film, but expecting to be disappointed. Two hours later, I was blown away. I'm generally a fan of movies with large casts of characters whose lives all intertwine. The challenge is to keep all of the characters straight. Paul Haggis's screenplay manages to weave together 24 hours in the lives of a varied group of Los Angeles citizens. Black, white, Latino, Persian, Asian; the cast runs the gamut of color and culture. The characters all have their own unique personalities and problems, and they never seem to run together. Obviously, a two hour movie doesn't have time to fully develop a dozen separate characters. But Crash gives us enough of each to relate and care about them. There are sections of Crash that will make most viewers squirm. There are parts that are downright hard to watch. Crash has moments of tension and moments of epiphany. Since everyone is touched in some way by racism, every viewer should be able to find something here to relate to. Haggis didn't hold back or pull any punches. In fact, he aims squarely at your gut and hits you with everything he's got. The emotions come often and strong. Occasionally, I felt the story shifted a little too quickly, cutting off some of the potential reactions. On the other hand, an audience can only take so much, and more may have been overwhelming. Regardless, the pace moved quickly, almost relentlessly, yet the stories remained pleasingly disparate.

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If you have been avoiding this movie because you think it is some kind of racial "message movie" (today's term for propaganda film), relax. It is true that you really see quite a rainbow of racism here. The overt racism is so over-the-top at times, it is on the verge of being played for laughs, but soon the tension builds to matters of life and death. On a personal note, it's refreshing to see Hollywood acknowledge that racism exists somewhere besides the South. Although racism catalyzes the film and glues the subplots together, this movie is really about being forced into circumstances that reveal and change your true character. The subplots twist along the way to satisfying conclusions, which are individually either heartbreaking or triumphant. It's recommended to watch this movie free of distractions, to catch all the nuances of what the characters are feeling. Along the same lines, there is an uncomfortable scene that starts with white cops pulling over an African-American couple: if you are the type who fast-forwards through certain scenes (and if kids are around, some of you might be tempted to), you will miss a lot of the emotional wallop later on. (Follow the link to the right of "PARENTS:" for this movie if you need to know more.)

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