Spring Break
Crash into theaters for this flick
Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
If there's one thing I hate, it's the Dave Matthews Band. Nothing gets my goat like the chorus of Tripping Billies. Hearing director Paul Higgis say his film's name was somewhat inspired by David Cronenberg's 1996 film, Crash was just as reassuring as his lack of any mention of the aforementioned musicians. Still, if there's one thing I hate more than Dave Matthews Band, it would be racism.
There is so much to say about racists. They come in all colors and flavors. Be it the white cop who just happens to be a "wonderful prick" (Matt Dillon), or the black car thief who only steals from the white men who are out to get him (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and then goes on a joy ride. There is also the black director (Terrence Howard) who gives in to Tony Danza (yes, Tony Danza), by making his young black star talk more "black." Of course for every bad cop, there's a good cop (Ryan Phillippe), and for every stereotypical African American gangster there's another one who is beginning to like country music (Larenz Tate).
Racism is a touchy subject. When is it going to stop? We are not a happy human race. If people hear one tasteless joke or get one dirty look and they flip out. It's understandable, we were all created equal. One race does not have the right to attack other races unjustifiably. A movie about racism would similarly lack reason. Of course, no one would make a movie about it, except that it has already been done (American History X). Higgis' movie might appear to be racist at times, but that's only when it is taken out of context. Yes, certain scenes of the movie are racist, but the movie as a whole is nothing short of an emotional look into what really ticks people off.
Crash is not so much about racism as it is about fear and anger. After all, fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate. With his movie, Higgis is saying that people aren't really racist, they are just angry and hateful. We don't always have kind intentions, but there are still misunderstandings that lead to a lot of these so-called "racist" encounters. If people just let go of the mind-set that everyone is out to get them, then maybe, just maybe they will realize that: "No, that was not racist" and "This person is just angry at me right now" and "It doesn't matter what the color of my skin is."
Higgis conveys this message very well by going through a day in the life of a handful of characters, and their motives for doing what they do. Every character is interesting and each scene is vital, save a few, to the flow of the story. The few scenes which are not vital are over-dramatic, over-acted scenes involving Sandra Bullock or Don Cheadle's mother speaking sub-par dialog. It's a shame because while I'm sure some people will just eat up these monologues, they are detrimental to the film, and could have been done better.
Having a movie with such a large cast can be very immersing. As Crash moves from person to person, race to race, and shows how everyone's actions are ultimately connected in a cause and effect sort of way the movie lives up to that expectation.
However, Crash also suffers the greatest downfall: knowing how to end the movie. One scene in particular (involving a confrontation between a Persian shop owner and Latino lock-smith) is so powerful, so emotional, that it just begs to be the last thing the audience sees, to be the one thing that the audience is left thinking about while the credits run, the proverbial "last stop." However, the movie goes on, and rightfully so as there are some loose ends yet to be tied up. However, the movie could have been cut to put this scene closer to the end. You'll know which scene I'm talking about when you feel chills run down your spine and your eyes well up with tears.
Don't let my few problems with Crash confuse you, this is going to be one of the best films this year. Make sure to catch it when it is released May 6.
 Media Credit: Yahoo movies Terrence Howard is one of many well known actors in the highly aclaimed move, Crash. |
There is so much to say about racists. They come in all colors and flavors. Be it the white cop who just happens to be a "wonderful prick" (Matt Dillon), or the black car thief who only steals from the white men who are out to get him (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and then goes on a joy ride. There is also the black director (Terrence Howard) who gives in to Tony Danza (yes, Tony Danza), by making his young black star talk more "black." Of course for every bad cop, there's a good cop (Ryan Phillippe), and for every stereotypical African American gangster there's another one who is beginning to like country music (Larenz Tate).
Racism is a touchy subject. When is it going to stop? We are not a happy human race. If people hear one tasteless joke or get one dirty look and they flip out. It's understandable, we were all created equal. One race does not have the right to attack other races unjustifiably. A movie about racism would similarly lack reason. Of course, no one would make a movie about it, except that it has already been done (American History X). Higgis' movie might appear to be racist at times, but that's only when it is taken out of context. Yes, certain scenes of the movie are racist, but the movie as a whole is nothing short of an emotional look into what really ticks people off.
 Media Credit: Yahoo movies |
Crash is not so much about racism as it is about fear and anger. After all, fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate. With his movie, Higgis is saying that people aren't really racist, they are just angry and hateful. We don't always have kind intentions, but there are still misunderstandings that lead to a lot of these so-called "racist" encounters. If people just let go of the mind-set that everyone is out to get them, then maybe, just maybe they will realize that: "No, that was not racist" and "This person is just angry at me right now" and "It doesn't matter what the color of my skin is."
Higgis conveys this message very well by going through a day in the life of a handful of characters, and their motives for doing what they do. Every character is interesting and each scene is vital, save a few, to the flow of the story. The few scenes which are not vital are over-dramatic, over-acted scenes involving Sandra Bullock or Don Cheadle's mother speaking sub-par dialog. It's a shame because while I'm sure some people will just eat up these monologues, they are detrimental to the film, and could have been done better.
Having a movie with such a large cast can be very immersing. As Crash moves from person to person, race to race, and shows how everyone's actions are ultimately connected in a cause and effect sort of way the movie lives up to that expectation.
 Media Credit: Yahoo movies |
However, Crash also suffers the greatest downfall: knowing how to end the movie. One scene in particular (involving a confrontation between a Persian shop owner and Latino lock-smith) is so powerful, so emotional, that it just begs to be the last thing the audience sees, to be the one thing that the audience is left thinking about while the credits run, the proverbial "last stop." However, the movie goes on, and rightfully so as there are some loose ends yet to be tied up. However, the movie could have been cut to put this scene closer to the end. You'll know which scene I'm talking about when you feel chills run down your spine and your eyes well up with tears.
Don't let my few problems with Crash confuse you, this is going to be one of the best films this year. Make sure to catch it when it is released May 6.
Be the first to comment on this story