By: Goldie Robins and Jessica Maiorano
The way you treat someone is what you should expect in return. What you do comes back to you. It is like a circle. “Moving at the speed of light, we are bound to collide with each other.”
Paul Haggis wrote and directed the fast paced drama, Crash which was released in 2004. The film introduces the struggle of the intertwining characters that experience their own obstacles involving racism in the City of Los Angeles.
Two Police Detectives. An Asian married couple. A Persian family. Two car thieves. White Housewife and her District Attorney Husband. A corrupt racist cop and his newbie partner. Successful Black married couple. And a Mexican locksmith.
The connections that we made with these characters and their intense situations had us on the edge of our seats filled with so many different emotions.
Paul Haggis wrote and directed the fast paced drama, Crash which was released in 2004. The film introduces the struggle of the intertwining characters that experience their own obstacles involving racism in the City of Los Angeles.
Two Police Detectives. An Asian married couple. A Persian family. Two car thieves. White Housewife and her District Attorney Husband. A corrupt racist cop and his newbie partner. Successful Black married couple. And a Mexican locksmith.
The connections that we made with these characters and their intense situations had us on the edge of our seats filled with so many different emotions.
Officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) and Officer Tom Hansen (Ryan Phillippe)
White Officer Tom Hansen (Ryan Phillippe) was faced with a complex situation while on duty with his White racist partner, Officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon). This led to his decision of finding a new partner. Officer John Ryan tries to put Officer Tom Hansen in his place by saying, “Wait till you've been on the job a few more years. Look at me, look at me. Wait till you've been doin' it a little longer. You think you know who you are, hmm? You have no idea.”
This reveals that there will be a significant change in both characters. Foreshadowing is a component in this film that revolves around the theme. Multiple sequences are used to uncover the ongoing theme of the film.
This is also uncovered in the camera work. Many times the camera cut from one character opening or closing a door to a different sequence and different character who were opening or closing the door. With the straight cut it flows just like any door was to open or close. Whether you open or close the door, it is always coming towards you. When one character closes the door it opens for another which shows the connection between the characters.
This reveals that there will be a significant change in both characters. Foreshadowing is a component in this film that revolves around the theme. Multiple sequences are used to uncover the ongoing theme of the film.
This is also uncovered in the camera work. Many times the camera cut from one character opening or closing a door to a different sequence and different character who were opening or closing the door. With the straight cut it flows just like any door was to open or close. Whether you open or close the door, it is always coming towards you. When one character closes the door it opens for another which shows the connection between the characters.
Anthony (Ludacris) and Peter (Larenz Tate)
Anthony (Ludacris) and Peter (Larenz Tate), are the two car thieves were walking down the same street as Jean Cobot (Sandra Bullock) and Fred (Tony Danza), the White married couple. Jean Cobot sees the two Black men, looks away and then grabs her husband's arm. They then react in a negative manner by saying, “See what that woman just did? You see that? She's cold. She got colder as soon as she saw us. Man, look around you, man. You couldn't find a whiter, safer or better-lit part of this city right now. But yet this white woman sees two black guys who look like UCLA students strolling down the sidewalk,and her reaction is blind fear? Do we look threatening? No. So you tell me. Why aren't we scared? 'Cause we got guns? You could be right. Get the fuck outta the car! “ Even though Jean Cobot’s reaction to seeing these two men was not necessarily the “right” thing to do, she felt that her instincts were correct due to the situation that happened to occur. As a human being we judge others within seconds of seeing them. People underestimate the power of communication.
This 2004 film brings the issues in our society to the surface while having these very different characters interact with one another. All of the characters did not act the way they wanted to be treated but what goes around comes around. Watching this film really portrays the reality of our society and makes you come to realization of the racism we are surrounded by.
This 2004 film brings the issues in our society to the surface while having these very different characters interact with one another. All of the characters did not act the way they wanted to be treated but what goes around comes around. Watching this film really portrays the reality of our society and makes you come to realization of the racism we are surrounded by.
Critiqued by: Amanda Cartagena, and Octavius Collins
Movies are normally based on one or two main characters with a general story, problem, climax, then solution. The rare occasion in this film that was presented to the audience was a selective abundance of main characters that all have things in common: race issues. Eventually the individuals clash together with each other to either escalate, or defuse the “beef” that they have against each other. The writer of the film Crash subliminally referenced the meaning of the word, for the physical and mental clashing of racism, prejudice, and stereotyping between races and genders.
Laced in multiple perspectives, and settings, the film is opened with two frustrated African Americans, Anthony (Ludacris) and Peter (Lerenz Tate), who that feel they were being discriminated upon, and weren’t treated fairly at a diner/café because of their race. Throughout the movie the film switches between eight different stories who have related struggles.
Paul Haggis, the director does an astonishing job with the elements of camera work in this Academy Award winning film. This element plays a major role because of the intertwining stories complemented by back and forth camera shots, ultimately sparking the audiences returning interest.
In this film, the director makes a great choice in choosing characters, their roles make the different themes show how the stories all come together. The first theme that we encounter in the beginning of the film is stereotypes, a Korean woman is screaming at a officer stating, “Mexicans don’t know how to drive” referring to the Latino woman that she ends up in an accident with. These themes help the characters build their role because they stick to the motifs of stereotypes, racism, and hatred.
Crash is full of strong, different varieties of camera angles and solid shots of filming. Shots throughout the movie movie obviously alternate but with different points, and meanings to convey emotions and feelings. Wider, and disjointed shots showed the pandemonium and discombobulation that characters possessed during specific scenes of their lives. There’s also classic close ups with sound neglections to show actors and actresses emotions and facial expression.
Daniel (Micheal Peña), played the role as a stereotyped gangbanger. He’s truly a workaholic father, that does much as possible to provide, for his family. Overcoming, and bypassing the obstacles that he come across based on his tattoos, and visual display, one girl that will always look at him as Superman will be his daughter. Their relationship can be described as any and every girls fairytale/dream of a father. Early in the film, due to violence and criminal activity being publicized locally in his area, his daughter felt unsafe. She had a conversation in which he concluded on keeping her safe at all times. Whenever he couldn’t live up to that expectation physically an invisible cloak that he tied around her would suffice. The still shot above is a close up that presents that heartbreak written all over Daniel’s face when his daughter tries to save him from being shot by an angry man, with her invisible cloak. The music playing during the scene is beyond original and perfect for the scenery. By far the best scene in the entire movie, and by itself shares a story that’ll leave auditions flustered and overwhelmed with emotions.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crash-2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yAwVFaBQS4
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crash-2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yAwVFaBQS4