I decided a couple of years ago to make it a goal of mine to view every single movie that has been awarded the “Best Picture” Academy Award. I have seen surprisingly few of them over the years and the way I see it, if a film wins the Best Picture award it’s probably for good reason. My first official stop on the Best Picture Tour is the 2005 winner “Crash.” I had no idea whatsoever about the film’s content, characters or story when I purchased a copy of it for $7 at Wal-Mart, which was very exciting for me. It’s become quite rare for me to watch a movie with absolutely no idea about what’s to come. After viewing Crash though, I may have to be more cautious about buying a movie with no previous knowledge of it.
It turns out Crash is about the most one-dimensional film I have seen in quite some time. Indeed, I find it hard to pinpoint any other film I have ever seen that hits one note, one issue, one controversy as wholeheartedly as Crash does. Crash is all about racism. There are several characters (none of whom I would consider a “main,” character) and all of them deal with racism in one way or another. I would go into details, but I don’t believe there is a point. This is a movie unlike any other I have encountered…it’s almost like a documentary or maybe even a new employee training video in that it is so one dimensional (providing little in the way of depth, immersion and a sense of escape). Crash zeroes in on the issue of race, and beats the horse long after the life has expired from it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe race is an incredibly important issue that needs to be discussed and argued. But for me, the silver screen is not the place it should be discussed. The movie theater is a place of entertainment, a place of laughing, crying, thrills and (ultimately, in my opinion) fun. When I purchase a ticket, I expect a film to lift me out of my daily routine and tell a story that suspends my sense of reality. This is one reason I love movies as much as I do. In my opinion, Crash accomplishes none of these things. Crash is a movie that seeks to chain its audience with a sense of guilt, a punch in the face if you will, over the fact that racism is still a problem in today’s society. I came away from my viewing of Crash feeling disgusted with the world and hopeless that harmony between races can be achieved.
In addition to the general feeling of despair, I was confused and frustrated with the characters. Many of the characters are both victims of racism and proponents of racism. A pair of young black men complain that they received poor service at a restaurant because they believe the waitress assumed black people don’t tip well. Of course, they didn’t tip her well destroying their argument altogether and justifying the waitress’s assumptions. The same pair complain that a white woman walking with her husband tensed up when they passed each other, presumably because the woman assumed that young black men like the two of them are thugs. Of course, then they rob the white couple and steal their car, again justifying the couple’s fear of the two black men. This inconsistency in Crash’s characters is, in my opinion, the primary reason the film fails. There are no goals presented for any characters to achieve, and therefore, a sense of progression is lacking in this film. There is precious little in the way of personal growth or understanding from anyone in the film.
The performances are there, believable and well delivered. The actors are fine, though none stand out to me as memorable. The technical elements of the film again, are fine but with no particular stand out moment. In my opinion, the film fails on a foundational level – it never makes a connection to the audience, never giving us characters we can relate to. Maybe I just don’t understand it. I certainly don’t understand how a film like this is awarded the industry’s highest honor. All the same I felt altogether detached from Crash’s world, and judging from the two-faced, self-absorbed racist pigs inhabiting it, maybe that’s a good thing.
2/10
Crash
Directed by Paul Haggis
Produced by Paul Haggis, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman
Written by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco
Starring Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Ludacris, Larenz Tate, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dillon, Keith David, Terrence Howard, Thandie Newton, Michael Pena, Shawn Toub and Ashlyn Sanchez
Rated R for language, sexual content, and some violence
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