|
FILM: Crash |
DIRECTOR: Paul Haggis |
|
Critic: Caleb Freeman |
Date: JUNE 2005 |
|
RATINGS |
|
|
OVERALL |
 |
|
MESSAGE |
|
|
PLOT |
|
|
ACTING |
|
|
FEEL |
|
|
INNOCENCE |
|
|
The film Crash in both its sharpness and subtlety renders a very realistic view of not only race relations, but in relationships in general. The line, “people, man, people,” captures the purpose behind Crash. Each person, every human being, roams through life barred by his own reality, trapped within the bottle of his existence. Crash collects these bottles of existence, individuals from varying backgrounds, and illustrates the traits in which all men share. Essentially Crash is an attempt to define human nature. Human nature in the sense of the essence shared by all men. The essence that validates the phase, all men are created equal. The film takes these colored and assorted bottles of human existence and smashes them together, exposing the cultural barriers of modern America, smashing the “metal and glass” that construct the modern society. The film gives a holistic perspective on the everyday cultural misunderstandings in America. The film's shocking conclusion: your own reality is not reality, but simply a fragment of a network of realities. The line, “You think you know who you are. You have no idea,” captures the essence of this point, that one human’s prejudiced, biased perception is only a small fraction of the story. In order to fully comprehend a single person, one must look beyond his own reality and realize the broader perspective, realize the whole network of people. Crash destroys the notions of people as islands and reiterates throughout the film the cause and effect dynamic that pulses through this network of souls called humanity. In conclusion the film Crash redefines racism as a fragment of reality, bereft of the whole perspective, a fraction of the complete spectrum of humanity. Rather than a fight between individuals Crash takes the position that racism is simply a misunderstanding between individuals or groups of individuals. Racists often view themselves as Good individuals fighting Evil individuals. However the film Crash smashes that notion and shows that everyman is capable of both good and evil, and perceiving one side only tells a fraction of the story. |
|
|
© 2005 Caleb Freeman |
|