Crash

Last night, I finally got around to viewing the movie Crash, the 2005 Best Picture. Despite the controversy that it beat out the big gay cowboy movie, I cannot imagine a better movie that Crash. It is one of those few movies that I think every American should watch.

Crash basically uses the automobile accident as a metaphor for human interaction particularly in Los Angeles. The plots interweave a group of individuals whose lives interact. And there are no good people. Every character either is a racist or commits a horrible act. And of course I use the word "racist" loosely - is there a word more misused and misdefined in American pop culture than "racist?" Only a few characters probably would qualify as genuine racists; most just frame the world in racial stereotypes that make up every person's world view.

The real beauty of Crash is its attempted honesty and authenticity. Most Hollywood movies fall into the simple, formula; but Crash turns the mirror on many people explores how their stereotypes, biases and prejudices affect the way they see the world. The movie turns itself on its head. In the end, the character setup to be the big racist turns out to be not one at all; the character setup to be the idealist committs the most violence act stemming from his own prejudices; and most everyone in between let their own self-interests drive them.

If the other two people who read this blog have seen the movie, I would love to hear your thoughts.