Outline
1) Introduction to “Crash” • Genre • Themes and Narrative strategies • Formal and stylistic elements 2) Approaching “Crash” in the classroom 3) Possible classroom activities • The portrayal of L.A. in “Crash” • Crashing characters
Introduction to “Crash”
Genre: Episodic Film • Large cast of characters Daily lives and interactions • Parallel chapters Merge • Creation of a microcosm: The film reduces L.A. to a manageable cast of characters Effects: Focus on interpersonal relationships + omniscient point of view for the viewer
Introduction to “Crash”
Themes and Narrative strategies: • Violent interpersonal contact • Interpersonal and interracial encounters Crashes • Links are created between the characters:
• • • • • • Experiences of racism Urban isolation Literal car crashes Cars (protective shells Isolation) Snow Christian imagery (St. Christopher, angel)
Introduction to “Crash”
Formal and stylistic elements: Rapid cross-cutting Montage, continual camera motion Scenes choreographed to music Rhyming visual threads and graphic matches (e.g. driving cars, walking through doors) to demonstrate that there are connections
“Crash” in the classroom
• Appropriate for: grade 11 / 12 • Themes: Identity, social relations, tolerance, Multiculturalism, racism, prejudices, stereotypes
Rahmenlehrplan Englisch Sek II: 4.1 Individuum und Gesellschaft • Personal relations in their social context • Aims and ambitions 4.2 Nationale und kulturelle Identität • Overcoming prejudices in society • Ethnic diversity
Classroom activities
1. The portrayal of L.A. in “Crash” • Viewing of the intro-scene (before whole movie) • Pre-viewing: Text “Los Angeles” Framework • Tasks: reading, summary and discussion in class (What information is new to you? Personal experience? Anything curious?)
Classroom activities
1. The portrayal of L.A. in “Crash” • While-viewing: 0:00:45 to 00:03:21 • Task: What impressions of L.A. does the scene convey? • Group a) Concentrate on the lighting and sound! • Group b) Concentrate on the speech!
• Post-viewing: Collection of impressions + discussion
Classroom activities
1. The portrayal of L.A. in “Crash” a) Lighting + sound: traffic, chaos, blurriness, darkness, gloominess, threatening, fear, desperation b) Speech: open-spaced city, you don’t bump into people, people are lonely and isolated, they have violent encounters to feel something
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters • Viewing the whole movie • Incorporation of the theme crash • Effect of the crash • Interconnection of the characters • Pre-viewing: Introduction to the characters
Classroom activities
Anthony – Car thief, African-American Jean Cabot – housewife, Rick Cabot's wife, Caucasian/white Rick Cabot – District Attorney, Jean Cabot's husband, Caucasian/white Farhad – shop owner, Persian Thommy Hanson – police officer, Caucasian/white Daniel Ruiz – locksmith, Hispanic
Classroom activities
John Ryan - police officer, Caucasian/white Cameron Thayer - television director, AfricanAmerican Christine Thayer - Cameron Thayer's wife, African-American Graham Waters - police detective, Peter Waters' brother, African-American Peter Waters - car thief, Graham Waters' brother, African-American
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters • While-viewing: Students are asked to pair up, each pair has to focus on 2 characters • Task: Get together in pairs. Each of you can choose a character to observe while watching the movie. Take notes about the character’s connection to the other 10 main characters.
• Post-viewing: Each pair presents their findings on a poster
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters Possible worksheet:
Jean Cabot Rick Cabot Thommy Hanson Daniel Ruiz
Farhad
Peter Waters
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters • Post-viewing: • Collecting the students’ observations • In class plenum with poster • Aim: Character network
Asian guy‘s wife
Asian guy
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters • Discussion: • Besides the car crash, the characters “crash“ all the time in L.A. • Question: Why do the characters crash and how is this connected to Los Angeles?
Classroom activities
2. Crashing Characters • Discussion: • Besides the car crash, the characters “crash“ all the time in L.A. • Question: Why do the characters crash and how is this connected to Los Angeles?
• • • • Racism Prejudices Ethnicities -> Mexican boarder Crime