Crash Response

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Response to Film Crash

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Madeline CizMadia
LBST 1102-H71
Prof. Julie Hicks
17 November 2015
Crash: What Society is Afraid to Address
In a different way from American Beauty and the critique of problems such as sexualizing
teens, marital problems, and the concept of beauty; Crash, a 2004 film directed by Paul Haggis,
confronts different and equally serious problems that are faced in America. The film, set in Los
Angeles, through the interweaving stories of numerous pairs of LA citizens, addresses racial
prejudices, and clashing cultures in an already charged city. Haggis does a wonderful job
throwing things in the face of his audience that people in America are afraid to say out in public,
and even sometimes are afraid to voice out loud at all. The characters like Anthony, a car thief,
say racist things and address how people of different races see each other in ways our society
shies from. Officer John Ryan, a senior member of the L.A.P.D. does despicable things to a black
woman that makes the audience cringe and shy away. Each of the characters just like Anthony
and Officer Ryan have so many prejudices and all of them are laid out as an example for the
problems that exist in the shadows of American Society.
The title itself, Crash, has so much more significance than just the numerous car
accidents that take place throughout the film. The first culture crash of the film that is not a car
accident takes place as Anthony and his friend, Peter (both Black), walk down an LA street
looking for a car to steal and talking about racial prejudices, hating how white women look
afraid when they see them. They then crash with a white couple, the Cabot’s, and proceed to steal

their car at gunpoint. It’s ironic how they hate the very reaction that they cause in members of the
opposite race, and that by stealing the car, they continue the pattern of fear and distrust between
both communities. Another significant crash of the film is the crashing personalities between
couples, friends, and partners. Officer Ryan and his partner, Officer Hanson have clashing views
about how they should exhibit their powers as policemen. Officer Ryan abuses his power and
sexually assaults a black woman at a traffic stop for her sexual actions to her husband while he
was driving. Officer Hanson felt strongly that his superior’s actions were wrong, and it leads him
to even apply for a partner change in the police force. His morals took over in that situation, and
even the head of the police department gave him trouble for fear of losing his position in the
force. The clash of superiority is one of the biggest clashes in the film in my opinion. Not only
does Cameron, the movie producer’s, boss use his superiority to control the outcome of the film
by insulting Cam, but the superior officers in the police department use their superiority and their
knowledge of Detective Grahm’s family to manipulate him into deciding who would become the
hero and who would become the villain in a recent crime involving two other members of the
police force in L.A. We see all of these clashes in our world today whether it be in our own lives
or in the lives of people we see on the news, and Haggis is trying to point out that it’s really a
problem that needs to be addressed in our world.
Despite all of the ugly portrayals of people’s prejudices throughout the film, many of the
characters do show signs of their inner goodness. Jean Cabot changes from being a cranky,
unhappy individual, to being grateful for the one true friend who stuck by her side through her
hard times. After falling down her stairs, the only one who came to her aid was the maid, Maria,
who Jean had previously chastised and berated for not doing her job right. After realizing that
her own sister would not come help her, but the maid did, she reached out and embraced Maria

showing her the love and respect that she deserved. She had a big change of heart and outlook
on life from that point on. An unexpected change of heart came from Anthony, who had
previously been so against anyone who was not black, like himself. After Cameron, a film
producer, chastises him for embarrassing him in front of the police, Anthony steals a van only to
find out that there were Chinese victims of human trafficking in the back. Instead of selling them
like the old Anthony would have, he brings them to the China town nearby and lets them all out,
even giving them money to live off of for at least a night. The smile on his face as he gets back in
the truck and leaves is proof of his total transformation and him letting go of his selfishness and
prejudice. The most impactful moment of grace, in my opinion is that of Officer Ryan. He comes
face to face with the victim of his sexual assault when he responds to a car crash. Her fear of
him is overpowering him and he is taken aback at her blatant refusal of his help. At that moment,
he has a change of heart and shows her that he really intends to help her and bring her to safety.
Even when his fellow officers try to pull him out of the burning car, he fights his way back in
and pulls her out of the car safely, then holds her in a blanket as they watch her car explode,
moments after he frees her. This, in my opinion is the most dramatic and impactful moment of
grace in the movie. Despite both of their prejudices, they allow each other to overcome their old
selves and both come out of a horrible experience safely.
I really enjoyed this movie more than many of the others we’ve watched, and definitely
more than American Beauty. Although there are moments that are hard to watch throughout the
film, the moments of redemption, personal conversions and grace make up for the bad moments.
Haggis does a beautiful job highlighting the highs and lows of humanity through these
interwoven good and bad moments in the film. The beauty of being human, in my opinion, is the
ability to come out of our sins or wrongdoings and the ability to change our frames of mind over

time. We are given opportunities in our life, like Officer Hanson is when he picks up Peter on
the side of the road, and what we do with those opportunities will determine the course of our
lives as long as we live. Unfortunately, Officer Hanson makes the wrong decision, acts hastily,
and takes one of the most innocent lives that is portrayed in the whole film. Had he thought
rationally and allowed Peter to explain himself, he would have done a good deed and made his
life better. Every day we are presented with choices just like Officer Hanson was and we have to
choose how our lives will go. Because it is only through those decisions that our own lives, and
our society becomes better and less prejudiced.

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