Crash

Paul Haggis’ Crash was released last year to rave reviews. Readers of the Internet Movie Database rated it an impressive 8.5 out of 10, making it the 53rd most popular movie on that site. But until readers of this site mentioned it, I had never heard of it. That’s one of the problems with living in Bermuda – unless you stay alert, it’s all too easy for great new movies to pass you by.

And Crash is undoubtedly a great film. Not to be confused with David Cronenberg’s sordid 1996 movie of the same name, it’s a story (or rather, several inter-weaved stories) about racial discrimination, set in post-9/11 Los Angeles. It features an ensemble cast including Don Cheadle and Sandra Bullock, the latter playing against type so convincingly that you wish she’d ditch the fluffy romances for more roles like this.

It’s a tough movie to watch, remorseless in its examination of racial prejudice. But it’s also very honest – there are few characters who are all good, or all bad.

There are moments of levity, but they don’t last long. And you’re never quite sure what direction the movie’s going to go in next (spoilers ahead). When we first meet two young black men walking down the street at the beginning of the film, they joke about how a white woman (Sandra Bullock) walking towards them pulls closer to her husband (Brendan Fraser) as she sees them approach. As a white person, I found myself first smiling at the white couple’s instinctive prejudice, then worrying: would I react the same way? When the black pair then pull guns on Bullock and Fraser and steal their car, I didn’t know what to think.

Crash is filled with similar moments, and that’s what makes it so compelling. It doesn’t reinforce stereotypes, but it doesn’t debunk them either. Race relations are complex, it says: some fears may be irrational but others may be perfectly justified. Not all black men are would-be carjackers, but some are.

The character I identified most closely with was the idealistic young white policeman (Ryan Phillippe) who starts the movie stuck with a racist white partner. After his partner pulls a black couple over, then molests the wife while the husband looks on, Phillippe is horrified. For the rest of the film, Phillippe goes out of his way to do the right thing by the blacks he encounters. Yet at the end of the film he is powerless when his own latent racial prejudices surface during a moment of stress.

For me, that was an extremely sobering moment. I like to think that I’m honest and well-intentioned when it comes to tackling racial prejudice. But what prejudices do I have of my own, buried in my unconscious, of which I’m not even aware?

The film also left me wondering just how many tiny slights blacks encounter from whites on a daily basis, such as the assumptions that one of the white characters made about how blacks should talk. Slights that are no big deal, perhaps, that are not instances of discrimination that could be challenged at a tribunal or in a court, but that are slights nonetheless.

Crash is an intelligent, well-written movie that makes you think. Movies like that don’t come along too often. I urge you to see it.

9/10

Crash is now available to rent at movie stores around the Island.

Comments

[Sergio on 05.10.05 at 02:31]

"Race relations are complex, it says: some fears may be irrational but others may be perfectly justified. Not all black men are would-be carjackers, but some are."

I think this is one of those slights Limey. This statement may very well be justified; however, so is the statement that "not all white men are would-be carjackers, but some are."

Why is it that the black male doing something wrong seems to get the spotlight? I dont have a problem with the first statement, it's just that if someone wants to be fair, dont be one-sided.

[jake on 05.10.05 at 06:16]

I applaud your review of this very important work.

What makes the movie work is that it is hard to know who you are, until the end when you realise you are many of the people.

None of us are spared, nor should we be.

Think about this from the perspective of Bermuda politics.

How many times are we viewing things from our perspective solely? How can we be sure what Randy Horton felt? Or Tony Brannon? Why do we instinctively associate with the experience of the person from our racial group? Who is to blame and who is blameless?

If we can approach our discussions from a position of hesitation we do better, than approaching it from a position of pure prejudice. Prejudice, in its purest form is the precursor to racism, but when exercised with some caution, is also the root of our instincts, which the movie also reminds us, should not be totally abandoned.

It is a welcome beginning Phil, and I applaud your review.

[Bud on 05.10.05 at 07:26]

Ha! I knew you'd love it :-)

I don't think that comment was a slight. Similar could be said about every character in the film.

What Crash does VERY well is show racial discrimination in just about every form possible, while testing the viewer's prejudices. It's greatest accomplishment is in teaching the viewer to pull back the layers of prejudice and stop looking at life exclusively through your own selfish lens.

Was the seatbelt scene one messed up situation or what? My eyes just flooded. Same with the magic cape scene. Without doubt the storyline with Terrence Howard resonated with me most. First the thing with his wife, and then the bullshit he was going through with his job.

[Phil on 05.10.05 at 07:54]

There were a lot of very moving scenes.

If I have one criticism of the movie, it's perhaps that there were one too many coincidences. It felt slightly contrived for the racist cop to come across the woman he molested again the next day, and for the "good" cop to again come across her husband. But I was prepared to suspend my disbelief because of the points it made.

Was this movie ever on at the cinema here?

[Big Bad Wolf ^..^ on 05.10.05 at 08:00]

Like I said I prefer to hang out with cats than people....now you know why.

[SarahT on 05.10.05 at 08:31]

I watched it with my entire family a few weeks ago after a friend raved about it for two weeks straight. We were all pretty quiet afterwards. Maybe Guvment should start the Truth and Reconciliation process with that movie!

[Fen on 05.10.05 at 08:36]

I thought this was an excellent movie. Yes, lots of coincidences, but movies do tend to be based on those sorts of implausibilites. I liked the way that the movie sympathised with all the characters- even when you didn't agree with their actions, you could understand what how they ended up there. I also liked the way it upset our first impressions of the characters, such as the hit and run victim. No one is all good or all bad, but just very human.

I thought that all the actors were excellent, whenever I try to single one out, I think of another who was just as good. Incidentally, I think Terrace Howard is in a new movie, Hustle and Flow. It seems to have quite good buzz.

[Red Riding Hood ( . )( . ) on 05.10.05 at 08:47]

When I was living in London, Finsbury park in '92 I was walking to the off license. Two young black teenagers were walking towards me. As I passed one pulled a gun and pointed it at my face as they walked by. I was so stunned I just kept walking, I said to myself it must just be one of those lighter guns and they are playing around.......were they?

Might give pricks like bud and guilden an insight to my attitude.

[Bud on 05.10.05 at 09:37]

Red Riding Hood,

Try as you might, you're not going to derail this thread.

[Big Bad Wolf ^..^ on 05.10.05 at 09:53]

Heah Hood try to deal with ten people running at you with drawn guns and shotguns and they were all white.Happened in Washington DC when I was going to the Un. of Maryland.

[Ethiops on 05.10.05 at 10:44]

I liked this film too, esp the scene in the jeep where the light skin guy took the gun from ludacris and blacked out on the police. The scene where the off duty cop picked up the hiker who was another cops brother and ended up shooting him out of paranoia was something. Yeah this film had a good bit of scenes matt dilon and his dad where like whoa. Omg the shop owner and the hispanic repair man, yeah this movie was good, but kinda on a short cut vibe, you guys remember that film short-cut?

[Full Fullish on 05.10.05 at 10:59]

RRH - Pricks come in all shapes and colours.....We've all had experiences like this, maybe not with guns though. What did you do about it? Did you learn anything from it. Did you say "Man I will never act like that to someone else cause they are different". It's to easy to give into hate. You're telling me that you don't have 1 black friend, not 1 at all? You can try and take the higher road, or you can stay on the same level as the 2 people that did this to you. Your choice...

[boogie on 05.10.05 at 11:33]

Ahhhh, (you can hear the gears in my head grinding) now I know why certain mass media said Oprah had her "Crash" moment when she was turned away by Hermes in Paris.

I'll have to get the movie.

[Phil on 05.10.05 at 13:28]

RRH's story reminds me of one of my own.

When I was living in Oxford about 15 years ago, I was walking through the town centre at around 7pm one evening when I came towards a homeless guy sat in a doorway with his dog (common sight in Oxford). As I drew near, the guy stood up and moved towards me, and before I knew it I had a gun pointed in my face.

"Give me your money or I'll fucking shoot you," he said.

I froze and just stared at him, open-mouthed. Around me, people kept walking by like nothing had happened.

After what seemed like an eternity, he relaxed, grinned, and said "It's not really a gun, it's just a cigarette lighter. But would you give me some money anyway?"

I looked at him in disgust and walked off.

He was white.

While I may have been a little more wary of Oxford's bums from that point on, it didn't have any lasting effect on my view of them. I wonder if things would have been different if the guy had been black though?

[Adam on 05.10.05 at 14:50]

I have heard about the movie but have yet to see it.

How many of peoples 'gut reactions' to events are pre-programmed by the media. Take a white couples apprehension about being approached by a black man. They werent born with that apprehension, and its very likely they havent ever been mugged by anyone regardless of race before.

So where do they get the stereotype from. My only experience of Black popular culture before moving to the islands was via media. Boys in the hood, rap videos and eddie murphy films. Now two out of those three dont usually portray black people in a very favorable light. Whilst they may be accurate (or maybe not) depictions of urban life for some african-americans they do add to the stereotyping of people that are, like I was at the time, ignorant of the wider picture.

Thats not to say that I thought every person of colour was a gangster from Compton, of course I didnt, but somewhere on some level that negative portrayal was stored away.

There is no real point to that observation I just thought I'd bring it up.

Or to put a slightly differnet spin on it....

When Im walking behind a single woman, day or night, I make sure to either accelerate my pace so I pass her at a wide angle or I slow down to create a big gap between us or I cross the street. I do this instinctivly, so as I dont make her afraid that I may be out to attack her. Im sure that most of the women I walk behind have never been attacked but if I was right up close Im sure the possibility of me attacking would go through every one of their minds. Again they werent born like that, that reaction was learned (and rightfully so).

Im not sure I articulated my point very well.

[shipstones on 05.10.05 at 14:59]

"It doesn’t reinforce stereotypes, but it doesn’t debunk them either."

I think the message was "Ya never know!"
You can't rely on your past experience. You can't rely on how people look or sound. In one situation they may act one way and in another situation they react totally the opposite.

Nothing is black or white! If we knew what a thief looked like or a murderer, there would be no crime!

Murphy's law is the only one that holds in this world!

[Observer on 05.10.05 at 15:01]

I agree, excellent movie.

As a black woman, I was (understandingly) particularly disturbed by the scene of the woman being molested by the white policeman in front of her husband. After the later scenes with the health care agent & ultimately with the fire scene in the car, I realized that while it was initially so easy to hate the policeman's character, I could also empathize with his personal problems, & was ultimately not very surprised that he chose to take out his frustrations on people of colour.

Unfortunately, all over the world, many many people can probably be found guilty at times of, (on the one side) choosing a scapegoat for their problems and (on the other side), simply condemning a race/ nationality of people because one of their own did something terrible to us.

I got the message the movie was trying to make, & it was definitely an "aha" moment for me to be given different perspectives on the lives of all the characters involved in the movie. I was able to relate to every single person in the movie, & somehow, the stereotypical labels I'd attached to them at first didn't really apply by the end.

We all have challenges & problems in their lives, which make it easy to show the world the worst of ourselves. What's so easy to forget however, is that we seldom get the chance to see the best of those we have chosen to hate.

If only when we walk out of the darkness of the theatre (or in Bermuda's case, turn off the DVD player) & back into the reality of our lives, we would be able to remember that for just a little longer, especially when confronted with the worst a person has to offer.

Limey, in response to your question; no, the movie was never featured here in the theatre.

[Red Riding Hood ( . )( . ) on 05.10.05 at 18:13]

Full Fullish

Can I call you Full stupid?

I explain a similar occurance as in the movie and you have seen my posts as being racist.... normal.
I am not racist, I just have a lot of distrust. I think though that makes me a racist by some of your standards.

[Rincewind on 05.10.05 at 18:31]

"Yet at the end of the film he is powerless when his own latent racial prejudices surface during a moment of stress. "

Does this film then give the message that we, black and white, are all racists no matter how hard we try to overcome it, or is the message that just whites are racist? Just a thought. I haven't watched the movie and not inclined too watch it. Give me a good comedy any day.

[Phil on 05.10.05 at 18:48]

Rincewind

The message is that everyone is prejudiced, regardless of their colour, and regardless of whether they think they are or not. But that there's good in everyone too.

[Rincewind on 05.10.05 at 19:07]

Thanks Limey

[Bud on 05.10.05 at 20:38]

Adam,

"How many of peoples 'gut reactions' to events are pre-programmed by the media."

Make sure that you see the movie. The commentary on how the media treats white women is pretty scathing. I wonder how many people really grasped the Sandra Bullock thread as it was subtle but extremely powerful at the end (with her maid).

[Robina on 05.10.05 at 23:11]

Think that I saw today that the cast of Crash will be on The Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow. Now you know what a limey in NH does!

Robina. The limey in NH.

[Git on 06.10.05 at 08:46]

Rented and watched it last night with the wife. A very compelling look at diversity.

Don Cheadle's (love that guy) interview in the 'behind the scenes' special feature is particularly insightful. He comments on some of the levity in the film saying that you find yourself laughing at certain scenes. Then conscience pricks you into asking yourself if it was really wrong to laugh. I did that several times through the movie. That, to me, is where it most succeeds... in promoting self-examination.

Favourite line had to be, "These people are afraid of us? We're in the most well-lit part of town, surrounded by over-caffeinated white people... we're the ones who should be afraid!"

Just about busted a gut on that one ;-)

[A Bermudian in Limey Land on 06.10.05 at 09:35]

I also saw the movie and was stunned, by not only the intricacy of the film with all of it's stories being thread together, but the breadth of prejudice against, EVERY race. Being abroad and when I say I am from Bermuda, everyone here is a little shocked that I am not black. And then if they ever ask about race relations, I say it's usually fine. Growing up at school with black and white friends. They sometimes find this a little odd.
Bermuda in general is pretty good with race relations, if you compare it to any other country. Without thinking too hard, South Africa, the Southern US and the middle east all come to mind. Bermuda doesn't have it too bad, when you take a step back and look at it. Yes there are a few times where things do go wrong, like the Premier's email to Tony Brannon. And for someone in such high authority it is a shame. But it just proves, like the movie, that no matter who you are, you are prejudiced in some way. We all have misconceptions about the way different people live. Everyone is human, all the same, but yet all slightly different. And this small difference is what can make such a big deal.
One would assume that, the message of the movie, is that we are all prejudiced, just need to allow the good to overcome this prejudice, for the better of not only ourselves, but the community. It also shows - in Phillipe's character - that even the most righteous and seemingly unprejudiced people, do have misconceived ideas.
Awesome film, incredibly moving in bits, especially as someone else previously mentioned, the magic cape bit.

[Bud on 06.10.05 at 20:07]

Crash cast are on Oprah NOW!

[Jorge on 07.10.05 at 11:59]

Limey,
Race relations are complex. How many white folks will have blacks as their close friends or vice versa? Anytime I meet people who focus on how non-prejudiced they are, my first question to them is : have you dated someone from the other race?
We find comfort and conformity in being around folks of our own colour and Bermuda is no different. You should expect Bermuda to have a lot more of mixed relationships and overflowing with mixed children. Look at places like Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Colour is a blur over there.
Movies are movies,but they are a reflection of society,although it is sad to note that we have to see them before we start looking at ourselves.
Limey, are you married to a white or black Bermudian?Did you ever date any people of colour? And if you did,what was your family's reaction?
The other issue is how black Bermudians were treated before.As a limey you should know how you English treated your subjects in your colonies and the race relations in England.I don't know how old you are but I presume you know a bit about history.Even in this present times there is a lot of racism and segregation in the Old England.
Sasying so, I think you should analyze the historical facts,causes and effects and use that as a tool to bring Bermudians together.
Encourage more interracial mingling and let's have more mixed kids.

[shipstones on 10.10.05 at 23:13]

Jorge,
"The other issue is how black Bermudians were treated before.As a limey you should know how you English treated your subjects in your colonies and the race relations in England."

At the time of slavery, not only in England but EU and other parts of the world children worked long days!!!

Workers normal working day was 16 hours. There was very little access for workers to doctors or medicine. They were sent to war and faced death for causes they knew not what. So don't tell me it was all peaches in the motherland either!

It was the same all over the world and not just white rulers. The powerful ruled with an iron hand!

People dessimated other countries in the name of freedom and religion. In the Pacific islands people from one island went to another and wiped them out even though they were the same race.

Second class citizens of today have it much better than the workers of yesteryear!

Lets talk about the present and how we are going to solve the problems of racism past and present by working to gether in the future.

[Jorge on 12.10.05 at 12:17]

Shipstones,
Slave like working conditions in Europe does nor justify Slavery and the way the colonizers subjugated,exterminated and enslaved their colonies.
If you are smart enough,you should understand that you can not understand the future or try to remedy the present without deciphering your past.The second class citizens were better off than the slaves.They were not in chains and the slaves were.
Learn your history.

[Phil on 12.10.05 at 12:45]

Jorge

I hardly dated anyone, never mind someone from the opposite race. ;-) Besides, I grew up in a village in Yorkshire that was almost entirely white, and most of the people at my university were white too.

I'm married to a white Bermudian.

[Jorge on 13.10.05 at 01:03]

Limey,
I appreciate your honesty and your coverage of Tim Wise's talks. I sense that you are understanding Tim's point of view and I am proud that you being a Limey that has been recently Bermudianised realises that these issues are present in Bermuda. Let us not block the sunshine with a finger and face the facts.
White Bermudians and White expats are treated like royalty in Bermuda.I know mediocre white expat workers who are toted as the Hot bread in town and black expats are treated with suspicion and the attitude of "Will he be able to do the job?"
We don't critically analyze a white expats work attitude because conciously or subconciously we presume that they are of top calibre.
Kudos again Limey.