collide, run into, smash into, bump into…CRASH

In my opinion, “Crash” is indeed worthy of its 2004 Academy Award for Best Motion Picture of the Year. Director/writer of “Crash,” Paul Haggis, is no stranger to fame and also wrote the screenplay for Best Picture Winner “Million Dollar Baby” the previous year. Additionally, Haggis’ résumé includes writing for the film, “Letters from Iwo Jima,” and revising the screenplay for “Casino Royale.”

Movies are powerful vehicles for transmitting messages to the masses and “Crash” sends a message that everyone can benefit from. Most people will walk away from the film with more knowledge of how they judge others and will become more aware of racial prejudices that still occur in today’s world. “Crash” looks at racism from the perspective of many characters, each playing a unique and vital role in the film.

- A district attorney and his unhappy wife
- Two police detectives who are also lovers
- A police officer with a sick father
- A young police officer with a racist partner
- Two young black men who are car thieves
- A Mexican-American locksmith
- A Chinese man and his wife
- A Persian man without a strong English vocabulary
- A black TV director and his wife
…and the list goes on.

Throughout the film, the characters crash into each other on a multitude of levels. The story, set in Los Angeles, begins with a car crash and flashes back to the characters’ lives on the previous day. Their lives are intertwined and many of the characters are misjudged because of their racial/ethnic background. Because of stereotypes and racism, problems and events arise as the plot unfolds.

The district attorney’s wife (played by Sandra Bullock) realizes that she is unhappy, and this may be the source of her prejudice and distrust toward others. The Mexican American locksmith is continually mistaken as a gang member, while he is simply trying to provide for his family. In one scene, he is changing the locks at the district attorney’s home when Bullock says:

“I would like the locks changed again in the morning. And you might mention that we'd appreciate it if next time they didn't send a gang member...Yes, the guy with the shaved head, the pants around his ass, the prison tattoo...I am telling you. Your amigo in there is gonna sell our key to one of his homies.”

This is just one example of the incidences that occur in the film. There are many twists, but Haggis does an excellent job keeping the story realistic. Each of the characters is “relatable,” and it is heart-renching to watch some of them continue down their current path. The overall ending isn’t entirely “happily ever after,” but neither is the real world. I would give this film an A+ for its easy-to-understand language, its powerful imagery, and thought-provoking story.