Film ‘crashes’ into racism
With a riveting narrative that identifies a subtle connection among deviating perspectives and vibrant imagery that stirs the senses as well as the soul, “Crash” is as visually engaging as it is viscerally enlightening.
Released to DVD on September 6th, Writer/Director Paul Haggis’s intuitive drama chronicles the divergent lives of various individuals continually affected by the societal construct of race and racial misconception. Showcasing a slew of refined performances from Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dilon, and (gasp) even Ludicris, “Crash” ardently pulls the viewer in and doesn’t loosen its vice-like grip until the credits roll.
The film opens as a duo of argumentative African American criminals discuss the reality of conspiracy against African American society and assault a conflicted Caucasian District Attorney and his dejectedly intolerant wife. Presenting a versatile tapestry of enthralling character arcs, “Crash” also introduces engrossed viewers to Graham, an irresolute African American detective whose path as an upstanding investigator has caused considerable friction with his distraught mother and a brother that has chosen to operate on an opposing side of the law.
The film also unites an Arab American despoiled by post-911 racism and his loving but apprehensive daughter with an amorously protective Latin American father and his altruistic desire to protect his family. Haggis’s opus also examines an African American couple discouraged by the proliferation of racism in every facet of life and a pair of Caucasian policeman that teeter on opposing sides of the prejudice spectrum.
Haggis’s film excels at shattering the one-dimensional archetypes littering the contemporary America that serves as the film’s environment. While each character possesses their own individual preconceptions with relation to race and class differences, their personal experiences eventually culminate with events (usually crashes) that allow each character’s morally ambiguous nature to reveal itself.
The result is a refreshing and somewhat eye-opening inspection of how one’s perception of the world is frequently contrasted at every conceivable level. Matt Dilon portrays a troubled Los Angeles cop that initially appears corrupt and prejudiced but later offers his life to save another. Similarly, Sandra Bullock portrays a self-loathing perfectionist with an aggressive fear toward other racial denominations until she discovers loyalty among those she once loathed.
Additionally, the film’s vivid cinematography complements Haggis’s message of awareness by capturing epitomic moments with pulsating clarity.
A mesmeric, heart stopping examination of a world teeming with preconceived acuity and inevitable unification, “Crash” is gripping psychological cinema.
Mack Perry is a film critic at the Utah Statesman. Comments and questions can be sent ot him at mackperry@cc.usu.edu.