Crash course in racism

Rating: 6/10 (28 March 2012)

"Crash" involves several stories that happen during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters who explore racism from every imaginable angle. Their disparate worlds collide in a car crash, which unites these characters, and is the catalyst for confronting their own racial prejudice.
Don Cheadle plays black police detective, Graham, who witnesses street-level violence afflicting young black men resulting from a racist society which has left them marginalised. Graham understands their plight; behind closed doors he cares for his sick mother left distraught by his wayward-younger brother, Peter (Larenz Tate), who has left home to pursue a life of crime. Cheadle's performance is outstanding, as he deals with a difficult family and professional life, with the silent-yet-dignified screen presence that he is known for.
Thandie Newton plays Christine, the mixed-race wife of a wealthy television director, who is far removed from life on the streets of downtown LA. Film-maker Paul Haggis wrote this role specifically with Thandie in mind, and her performance doesn't disappoint. Particularly harrowing is the scene with husband Cameron (Terence Howard) after she has been sexually-molested by Officer Ryan during a stop and search. Cameron is forced to watch, left powerless by a police-gun aimed at his head.
Officer Ryan, (Matt Dillon), plays the part of an ignorant racist, whose dialogue is peppered with stereotypes about people of colour. However, his remarks disguise a brutalised, complex-character who manages to elicit the audience's sympathy during the course of the film. In contrast, colleague Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillipe) is naïve and racially-'liberal'. He pays the price for this when his underlying racial-fear gets the better of him, with tragic consequences.
This film is a 'crash' course (excuse the pun) in racism that is very relevant to today's post-September 11th society. The pace of the film is slow at times (particularly in the second half) and often labours the 'racism' point. However, the film's strength is that it doesn't criticise or judge, instead, the audience takes the same emotional journey as the characters as we are also forced to examine our own racial prejudices vicariously.