Movie Analysis : The Movie Crash

Paul Haggis directed an Oscar winning film in 2004 called “Crash”, this movie basically talks about racism and the impact it has on the lives of people in Los Angeles. This movie got a good response from the viewers, as it concentrated on some real harsh realities of racism and asked some hard questions which are generally avoided in movies. This movie clearly promotes the a very delicate issue, and hence requires some detailed assessment. I personally feel the movie was good and it portrayed some very common events of racism, I think “Crash” shows realities, but in a not-so-realistic way.

This movie Directed by Paul Haggis who also directed Academy Award Winning "Million Dollar Baby" and had also won an Academy Award for this movie as well puts a twisted story in this film. This movie is trying to symbolize what goes on in the world today in regards to racism and stereotypes. He tries to make a point on how societies view themselves and others in the world based on there ethnicities. This movie intertwines several different people's lives, all different races, with different types of beliefs. Such ethnicities include Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Middle Eastern. This movie includes conflicts on both sides of the picture from cops and criminals as well

Communication is important in our lives as it enables us to interact with one another, and allows us to form and build upon relationships with other people. However, when communication is not effective or colored by personal biases, it may lead to conflict. In the movie Crash, the characters are faced with a number of social issues, born from their inability to communicate with one another as well as their perceived notions of racial and cultural biases. Through the interactions between the characters this film allows us to understand how interpersonal communication affects individuals be it with strangers, friends, or family.

I saw racism in the movie for example when the cops target a Suv because they saw a colored couple, but when a white coupled pass by they don’t stop them or anything. The cop takes advantage of the colored girl because the cops are white and know they

We see so much racism throughout the movie and some of it is justified. At the beginning of the movie we see a well to do white women clench the arm of her well to do white husband when she sees two black men, but then those same black men go on to steal their car at gun point. Is her concern justified or did would these men had left them alone if she would not have shown racism to them.

An example of racism occurred at the beginning of the film when the Arab looking father and daughter attempted to buy a gun. The clerk at the gun shop made a few blatantly racist comments about the customers because he assumes they are Middle Eastern. There were several references to the September 11 attacks. It didn’t matter that the two were Persian, not Arab. Unfortunately, the reoccurring theme post 9/11 is that all Middle Eastern people became potential terrorists. It is amazing that people have the ability to interpret bad events and cast their own prejudices on different ethnic groups to mask their own feelings of anger and frustration.

The Movie Crash is valuable in learning about social issues because it points out things that we may tend to ignore in everyday life. It also brings light to things that we may do, but not necessarily consciously realize. Another benefit of this movie portraying social issues like racism is that it helps us think about ourselves as a person and we can analyze ourselves in our way of thinking and our actions. Using a movie in class is also beneficial because it breaks up the traditional classroom activities. It helps student be a little more involved and interested in the topic. It also helps extend learning beyond just the textbook and classroom lectures and activities. Although using movies can make students more involved and interested

The film encompasses a variety of different themes as well. The issues are all connected to the different prejudices that are found in today’s society. Racism is the most dominant theme that is found in the film. Stereotyping is another theme that is viewed throughout this film. An example of this being when Daniel the Hispanic locksmith was changing the locks for the Caucasian District Attorney and his wife. Jean (the wife) assumes that Daniel is a no good gang banger based on the fact that he has tattoos, a shaved head, and is Hispanic. The film

In life, you never know if you can see the person you may see on the sidewalk or even across the stress. But, in all realities, that person may have a connection to your life. They can be your future spouse, boss, or the murder who may kill your loved ones. In the movie Crash, everyone has connected to each other in a different or common way. The film takes place in Los Angeles, where minorities are dealing with racial tensions while living in the city. The film broadcasts live of many individuals from different socio-economic classes, which they have life-changing experiences during challenges with prejudices and stereotypes. The film shows interpersonal communication which is “The ability to process and gain information between two or many people” (William 20). The film follows the lives of many resides of different races, social class, careers. The group main character in these groups is John Ryan and Tom Hasen who are Caucasian LAPD police officers. Cameron and Christine Thayer who are a young African American couple. Peter and Anthony who are young adults African- American car thief’s. Farhad who’s an Prussian business owner. Daniel who’s an Latin American locksmith. Lastly, Shaniqua Johnson who an African American administrator.

This movie continues to show all different types of racism. In one scene, two black men were walking down the street complaining of how everyone is so racist. The district attorney, Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser), and his wife, Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock), were walking down the street. She was holding his arm and started to hold him closer because she was cold. The two black men saw her and assumed that she was scared as they walked by them. Later on, the two black men steel a SUV at gun point. The passengers of the SUV just happen to

The movie begins with a commentary by a black passenger, who is also a detective that was involved in a car accident. The driver also a detective has gotten out of the vehicle to interact with the Asian driver who has caused the accident. As they exchange racial insults, the black detective exits the vehicle and arrives at his crime scene. The movie moves on to a Persian shop owner and his daughter looking to protect their shop by purchasing a gun. He is immediately insulted by the gun shop owner because they are not speaking English in front of him. On another part of town, two black young men carjack the local district attorney and his wife. Later that night the district attorney wife is upset because a Hispanic worker is changing her locks

Throughout the movie showed a sociological concept known as ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the means that we judge other cultures by the standards of our own and that we also believe that our own culture is better than everyone else's. For example in the movie Graham and his Latina girlfriend fight and he pokes fun at her culture by calling her Mexican even though she isn't. Ultimately Graham was mock his Latina girlfriend, assuming the superiority of his own culture. Another example would be when Officer Ryan makes a joke about the name Shaniqua which is more of a known name from the African American culture. (The Movie Crash and the Concepts of Sociology - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/the-movie-crash-concepts-sociology-437437.html). The movie also showed elements of Microaggression which is the idea that specific interactions between those of different races, cultures, or genders can be interpreted as small acts of mostly non-physical aggression; the term was coined by Chester M. Pierce[1] in 1970.In Crash the film director gave examples of subtle insults which would be him people telling him the film wasn’t black enough or the he advises him to tell the black characters to make his movie sound more “blacker”. These would be

The actions of the black characters support the cultural stereotypes that are pervasive throughout this film. A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing (Iftkar, 2013). Blacks are

A person or group who is ridicule for others wrong doing or mistakes. It’s usually a person who is seen an underdog with little power or influenced. In the movie, Crash there was a scene when Farhad the store owner blames, Daniel the locksmith for people being able break in his store. Because he did not follow the instructions of getting his door fix, so the insurance did not cover it. Farhad was using Daniel as a scapegoat because he did not follow directions. Another scene officer Ryan pulled over Cameron and Christine because he was upset with nurse Shaniqua for not helping his father. Office Ryan used Cameron and Christine by pulling them over and molested Christine as a scapegoat for is anger for the black

Airplane! (titled Flying High! in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and the Philippines) is a 1980 American satirical parody film directed and written by David and Jerry Zucker as well as Jim Abrahams,[4] and produced by Jon Davison. It stars Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty and features Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lorna Patterson.[4] The film is a parody of the disaster film genre, particularly the 1957 Paramount film Zero Hour!, from which it borrows the plot and the central characters,[5] as well as many elements from Airport 1975. The film is known for its use of surreal humor and its fast-paced slapstick comedy, including visual and verbal puns and gags.