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By Britt Gillette
Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of Best Picture,
Crash is more than deserving of the critical acclaim
surrounding its release. Probing the deepest recesses of
racism, prejudice, and discrimination in modern day America,
the film forces viewers to examine their own tendencies to
create and foster stereotypes. More importantly, it does so in
a way that doesn’t accuse, blame, or pursue a political
agenda.
In fact, Crash even touches on the shortcomings of political
correctness and how some people have allowed outside
perceptions to affect personal judgment, often to their own
detriment. Written and directed by Paul Haggis, author of the
Million Dollar Baby screenplay, Crash is a thoughtful piece of
social commentary wrapped in a storyline ripe with conflict
and
suspense.
Crash follows numerous characters living in and around Los
Angeles as they deal with racial perceptions, prejudices, and
stereotypes in their daily lives. Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock)
struggles with her inability to trust her own instincts
following a car-jacking which leaves her teetering on the
brink
of a mental breakdown. Meanwhile, police officer John Ryan
(Matt
Dillon) harasses African-Americans as a result of the
prejudices
he developed following his father’s bankruptcy years ago.
Lucien
(Dato Bakhtadze) and his wife Elizabeth (Karina Arroyave) find
their own biases and self-perceptions erupting to the surface
of their marriage following a traumatic encounter with Officer
Ryan. The consequences of Ryan’s hatred have a rippling
effect,
a theme which is repeated in countless other social exchanges
between store owners, locksmiths, detectives, and hockey
enthusiasts. In short, Crash sets out to jar its audience into
recognition of the enormous consequences of racial prejudice,
no matter how “minor” we may believe those attitudes may be.
The cast of Crash is superb. Don Cheadle completes his
graduation from the front desk of The Golden Girls spin-off
Golden Palace by turning in a second blockbuster performance
within a matter of months (Hotel Rwanda would be the other).
Like other characters from the film, Cheadle’s Graham is
unable
to fully develop due to time constraints, yet he manages to
come
across as a sympathetic and flawed character. The same can be
said of Matt Dillon’s portrayal of Officer John Ryan. He isn’t
a mere hatemonger skinhead, but rather a caring individual who
developed detrimental prejudice based on past events from his
childhood. In the end, like many of the film’s characters, the
audience gets a glimpse of his good side.
Overall, Crash is an excellent film that lives up to the
notoriety and hype. For the typical viewer, it will evoke
myriad emotions – hatred of racism, loathing of man’s
inhumanity to man, empathy, self-reflection, and an awareness
of how one’s own prejudices may affect others. Paul Haggis
brilliantly illustrates the consequences of widespread
attitudes harboring racist, prejudicial, discriminatory, and
stereotypical overtones. He does so without pointing fingers
or
assigning blame. Everyone is guilty; no race, gender, class,
or
ideology is spared. Crash also probes the depths of American
prejudice by addressing the unintended consequences of both
affirmative action and political-correctness. It’s this
reluctance to strictly adhere to an ideological agenda that
empowers Crash with its universal appeal. By not being
preachy,
the film is better able to relate its themes to viewers from
every type of background and perspective. It’s an entertaining
film. Hopefully, it also makes each us think twice about the
way in which we relate to our fellow man. If so, then Crash is
more than just a film; it’s a world-changing experience.
About The Author: Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report
(thedvdreport.blogspot.com), a blog where you can find
more reviews like this one.
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