They say America is a melting pot. It’s a country of Immigrants - immigrants from all continents, immigrants of all nationalities, immigrants following all religions, immigrants of all kind of skin colors, immigrants speaking all kind of languages, immigrants eating all kind of food. It’s a country where metropolitan cities are small snapshot of world.
Crash (2005) is a wonderful movie about racism, prejudice, power demonstration, hatred, ignorance, and tolerance. It’s about humanity, not about any specific race, religion, country. It is a brilliant collection of interweaving scenarios consisting America's ethnic groups - Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians.
Story
A politically nervous white district attorney and his irritated pampered wife, A Persian store owner and his educated daughter, A racist white gun seller, African-American police detective and his Hispanic partner, An African-American television director and his light-skinned wife, A Mexican locksmith, Two African-American car thieves, A racist veteran white cop, A rookie white cop, and A middle-aged Korean couple collide each other in 36 hours period in Los Angeles and experience racism, prejudice, class differences, and cultural differences.
Analysis
Crash assumes that most people feel prejudice and resentment against members of other groups. Even though it seems unrealistic, coincidental, manipulative, and exaggeration, it can still happen. It’s a collection of meaningful and insightful slices of modern metropolitan American life. It’s nothing but scenario as parable for problem America is facing in 21st century metropolitan cities.
One person assume other person’s identity based on their skin color, appearance, and accent - An Iranian is thought to be an Arab even though Iranians are Persian, An Hispanic woman thought of Mexican even though her father from Puerto Rico and mother from El Salvador, neither one of those are from Mexico. Hispanic man with shaved head and tattoos thought of gang member even though he is nice family man and loving father. In reality, sometimes their assumption is right and sometimes its wrong. In case of wrong assumption and intolerance, temper flares, tension escalates, resentment rises, and serious problem occurs.
Each of scenarios described in the movie has its own special moral story attached to it and every modern American is one way or other associated with it. It’s brilliant circular structure shows how a victimizer on one day could be a victim on another, and how characters transform and learn their lessons based on their earlier actions and behaviors.
(#) Young black man thinks black waitress didn't served them properly because black people don’t tip.
(#) D.A.'s white wife doesn't trust Hispanic blacksmith because he is Latino. She thinks he is gang member because his head is shaved. In reality, he is nice family person who reads bible to his young daughter.
(#) D.A.'s white wife doesn't like her Mexican maid's work and she is the one who later saves her when she fell off from stairs.
(#) Two car thieves who are constantly theorizing on racism and how white people abuses black people.
(#) Hispanic detective involves with the Korean in the accident and thinks its Korean lady’s fault because she is short and couldn't see beyond her steering wheel.
(#) Gun seller doesn't want to sell gun to Persian storeowner because he thinks Persian is Arab even though he wants to buy gun to protect his shop.
(#) Persian storeowner thinks everyone in this world hates him. He thinks Mexican locksmith didn't fixed his lock even though locksmith described that problem was with his broken door. Next morning he blames locksmith for not fixing lock after someone broken in his shop.
(#) A black cop is having an affair with his Latina partner, but couldn’t understand which country she is from. While making love with his partner, he gets calls from her mother, and lies that he is sleeping with white woman even though he knows she is Hispanic.
(#) The white cop can't get medical care for his dying father, and accuses a black woman as racist.
(#) Black TV director silently witnesses his wife’s humiliation and hand rape by white cop because he is minority, worries about his prestige, and he thinks cops are powerful and carrying guns.
Writer/director Paul Haggis portrays brilliant depiction of racial conflicts in US metropolitan areas in this 2005 academy award winning film. I still can’t believe how much he conveyed in less than 2-hour movie. If he could have gone much longer and covered lot more scenarios, I wouldn’t have minded at all.
Crash has brilliant performances from assembled cast of accomplished actors like Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton, Jennifer Esposito, Terrence Howard, Ryan Phillippe, and many more.
Crash in India
Crash is universal in its theme. It applies to all countries where people are diverse enough to differentiate them from one group to other group. It applies to India too.
Indians differentiates themselves based on what they eat (vegetarian or meat), which state they belongs to (South India, Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, etc.), where they live (bungalow, slums, posh societies), what class they belong to (upper class, middle class, poor, countryman), what kind of work they do (farmer, factory, school, government), what religion they follow (Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jainism, Buddhism), and many many more.
Crash highlights that even though we are different, we must be tolerant enough to respect others opinions and choices. We shouldn't judge person by color, food, religion, region, cloths, and social class.
Conclusion
Crash cries out that even though we are attached to specific religion or race, we are simply human. We all need food, air, and water to survive. We all experience joy, sympathy, sorrow, pain, fear, and hope. It’s really hard to believe we live in the world of melting pot and still we can easily differentiate taste of each ingredient from the pot. It’s a hard-hitting drama and makes us ponder on many questions. A must see film.
