Crash and Burn?

Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, has a stellar cast and a gripping story line. The purpose of the film is to explore and criticize racial (not just black and white) interactions and misunderstandings within the United States. The film begins in the present and then follows the complex events leading up to that point and briefly beyond. Shots stay close up rarely letting the audience sit back and relax. The camera zooms close to the action and emotion, and stays there. Crash is not a film designed to make you comfortable. Pulling you into the sometimes violent, passionate, desperate, but always vivid emotions, the film urges you to examine your own prejudices while almost experiencing the prejudices taking place on screen.

As I mentioned, the emotion is high in this film and there I would argue is much of the films power. While the film is powerful, it is also a little contrived. The dense interrelation of characters, intense situations, and the way almost every character can be seen as both good and evil are extreme. I think the over-the-top element serves to make a point and is necessary for the spirit of the film, especially given the time constraint. However, the harsh reality of the issues discussed may strike some as sentimental because of the contrived elements of the plot.

Thinking of this film in light of cultivation theory, I would be curious what kind of reaction this film would elicit from a person determined to be unaffected by it. Overall, I think Crash is a film worth anyone’s time because of the issues it deals with, the performances given and finally because of its emotional pull, although sometimes despite it. The intensity makes the characters relatable and detestable in turn; in essence, human.