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CRASH
review
by Terri Wall
Crash is an independent film with an ensemble cast featuring
interweaving stories and characters. Each character's actions effects
another and moves the plot along. All of these characters have one thing
in common - they are all prejudiced to a certain extent and have preconceived
stereotypical notions of people of other races and nationalities. The
movie is 'in your face' with its attitudes and rather bleak at
times but it has a lot of humor and is ultimately extremely uplifting.
Two young black men (Larenz Tate and Ludicris) come out of a restaurant
in an upscale neighborhood in Los Angeles. Ludicris is ranting about how
the waitress was racist since she gave them bad service even though Larenz
Tate points out that the service was fine. Ludicris is convinced it was
because she had a preconceived notion that black people don't tip.
When Tate asks if Ludicris did in fact leave a tip, Ludicris says of course
not because the service was bad - a funny moment but also a revealing
one showing how racist notions are to a certain extent self-fulfilling.
This idea is continued when an obviously wealthy couple approaches them
on the street. The wife (Sandra Bullock) is alarmed and moves closer to
her husband (Brendan Fraser). Is it prejudice against these young black
men who she fears will harm them or is it an inner warning that something
dangerous is about to happen? And in fact she was right to be concerned
because as Ludicris is again ranting about how racist white people are
because of the way Bullock is reacting to them, he and Tate pull out their
guns and carjack the couple. This scene is played for laughs but does
point out some truths about human nature and raises questions about how
we react to others.
Other characters who have their own problems dealing with stereotypical
attitude towards them and thir own stereotypical attitude towards others
include: Don Cheadle as a black police detective who is having an affair
with his white partner (Jennifer Esposito) and Beverly Todd as his drug-addicted
mother
A Persian family who are hated because people mistake them as Arab terrorists
A Latino locksmith, with a beautiful 5-year-old daughter, who is suspected
of being a thieving gang-banger
A sensitive white rookie policeman (Ryan Phillippe) who is appalled by
the way his racist partner (Matt Dillon) treats a young well-to-do black
couple (Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton)
Each of the events of the film impacts other characters and causes a chain
reaction which ultimately leads to some characters examining their prejudices
and changing their attitudes (in effect becoming enlightened) and others
becoming more entrenched in their attitudes because of the reinforcement
they perceive.
What makes this film so unique and so important is that it reveals both
the dark side and the good side of people's attitudes towards others
who are different from themselves and shows the great potential for change.
I highly recommend this movie.
Crash
was written and directed by Paul Haggis.
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