The Message Mangles the Means

Rating: 6/10 (19 February 2006)

The message at the heart of Paul Haggis' "Crash" is admirable and true: as human beings, we are all afflicted with racial biases and a tendency to stereotype those who are different from us, consciously or unconsciously, and this demeans and distorts a great many of our relationships. Thus, we are always ennobled by overcoming our prejudices. I whole-heartedly agree with this message and I believe it is worthy of respect. Unfortunately, in art, no matter how good a message is, it doesn't justify mangling the means used to express it.
The means of a story are character and plot. Strong characters can sometimes save a weak plot, and a compelling plot can sometimes support weak characters, but no story can succeed when both of these elements are dysfunctional. In "Crash," the characters are little more than collections of cultural attitudes: more character types than real human beings. They interact in a highly contrived plot made up of preposterously unlikely coincidences. These coincidences converge in various dramatic scenes which are well performed by excellent actors, and occasionally they even have some good dialogue to work with. But since the characters aren't fully developed, and many of the situations are so pat and improbable, there is no verisimilitude in many of the critical scenes, and thus, no sympathy for the characters, and so, no real drama.
"Crash" has good intentions. In this case, they paved the road to, if not mediocrity, then a more fashionable suburb close by.