An Epic Poem about Racism and Redemption

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2006)

"Crash (2005): (Viewed two nights in a row): First night: With a sophisticated, complex, woven plot (which reminded me most of Grand Canyon), strong scoring, good photography, solid acting (including those Id come to expect little from, like Sandra Bullock), and a thread of gritty truth that runs through this hive of experiences, I was fascinated by it from start to finish. Using racism as a theme, it explores all the variations of who, when, where, and why, but with zero pandering to the audience, a sly use of stereotypes, and truth-seeking avoidance of PC-ness. On occasion, situations may seem a little too poetic for their own good, but this is a minor point, and in fact, I'm willing to call this film an EPIC Poem about Racism and Redemption (This is how I see 1998's "The Thin Red Line" - an epic Poem to War. Second night: So now I've seen it twice. This time was equally good, with the opportunity to focus on a few specific aspects (of the many here). There are many stories in Crash that could each be an entire novel, or at least a major short story. In this day of sampling every thing - the aesthetic of using smaller pieces for a reassembled larger result seems to fit - taking strong aspects of each story, weaving them into a new rhythm, tying them together with a consistent tone, and constructing a highly complex yet focused new work. This is not a unique structure, but is a further exploration of what I easily look back to Grand Canyon as a solid source of inspiration."