A message that is easy to ignore

Rating: 1/10 (4 October 2008)

Crash is a film that was supposed a great commentary on race relations in our country. This was stated as being a film that made us seriously look at who we were really like on the inside challenging our internal perceptions.
The story follows several characters through out a disturbing group of events all involving racially charged situations. We get everything from a racist perverted cop, a clean young self righteous cop, yuppie victims of a break in, a mixed race couple in which one is racist against the others race, and a few more. The actors do a very good job but fall victim to an overloaded film. It is hard to find time to care for may of these characters plights when there is no time to really get to know them. The best example is when there is an attempt to make us sympathize with the racist cop. We have seen several instances of his disgusting behavior and that is it when suddenly we get a sob story about his father. While this is not a bad concept it is meaningless in this film because we know nothing of this character except that he is a jerk and the sudden family story seems cheap and fake, especially when it is the one and only time we hear it or see this personal weakness. most the other stories follow suit making the film a series of cheap and emotionless shock spots.
This leads into the greatest flaw with this film. I have lived in many different places in the USA. Each has its own levels and different types of racism that appears at times. The one true constant however is the deep and subtle racism that effects each place. Individuals are not double faced but they are shadow minded not intending or even holding anything evil but allowing this shadow of image to impact them mildly. This shadowed racism is what infects most of America and when many are confronted on it they are shocked at what they were not even aware of.
Crash wished to confront people with its multiple stories. The failure comes in that each situation is over the top. Each story presents us with a situation which easily disgusts us and makes us see how clearly wrong the act is. As I listened to others after the movie had ended most were saying how they could never imagine being like the characters they had just seen. It is to easy for the average person to walk away from this film saying "Wow, I am so glad I am not like that" because the average person is not like that.
Crash needed to follow two specific people involved in a confrontation of the subtle issues each of us face not the extremes that shock us. The shock must come from the realization that I am just like this person who I have learned holds things they never knew.
Crash is a failure and cheap stylized social commentary. It is sad that so many hold this film as a great commentary on racism. If anything this film continues to allow people to ignore what they might be holding close and hidden.