I have written an in depth review of this, explaining why exactly I hated this film (rated 2/10).
However I still think I need further closure on this film, because I am totally confused over the high rating. I want somebody who genuinely loved, or even just loved this film to explain their perspective to me. I promise that I will be mature, and I hope I can learn something from this. Thanks.
To be frank, it made me feel good. It made me acknowledge the fact that society puts up racial barriers, and we act accordingly. It made me realize that despite all the hate and the thick emotions in our lives, each of us are people, humans who love and live.
"Yeah, well thats just like... your opinion, man"
Plus I saw it back when I was 15, I'm 18 now, I could feel differently if I saw it again.
shareThanks man for the polite response, I just really needed to here a response from a fan of this film. I'm 17 and I despised it, glad you enjoyed it though.
shareI read your review and I agree with it (I'm seventeen as well). The movie actually started off relatively decent and I liked how the stories were connecting within a single scene, as if they were truly part of a real world. But as the film went on I was getting fed up with the excruciating dialogue. Good god. It basically went something like this: "(Insert comment that could be taken as light racism)" and then have another character respond with, "Are you being racist right now?" COME ON! Not every single *beep* person is a racist. The only racism that I understood was against the Persian man, who people mistook as Iraqi, and were racist against him because of 9/11. But the Persian man himself was utterly stupid, and I really don't want to sound racist, but it was incredibly frustrating for me to watch him.
I liked the story about the locksmith and his daughter, that was rather touching. Other than that, I really didn't like the film. I'm rating it 5/10 for the performances and cinematography.
"As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible" - Mr. Nobody
My ratings include TV shows
I actually just watched this movie for the first time and it honestly made me cry. (specifically when the daughter went to give her dad his inpenetrable cloak) it felt real. like the thoughts we have and the stereotypes we live by, it addresses. Its kind of an unconscious thing we carry around, hatred and fear towards certain races and ethnicities, the 'standards' of being in a certain class and all that. This movie was well executed, it did try too hard in a couple of moments but i think its a powerful, moving film.
shareWhat I love about this movie is that on the surface it is a film about stereotypes and racism. Almost every character has their own stereotypes that they are projecting onto the other characters in the film. This causes us as the audience to project our own stereotypes onto the characters as well.
That's where this film really excels on a deeper level. We begin to make our own assumptions about who is good person, who is a bad person, and what all of these people are capable of.
What they all seem to do is totally opposite of what you would stereotype them to do. The dark and hateful characters end up finding redemption while the characters who are seemingly free of operating under the same narrow minded thinking all find themselves in situations where they do the opposite.
The lesson to be learned : No one person is just one thing. You can't judge someone by the color of their skin, where they were raised, what nationality they are, whether they are rich or poor, or pray to a different God than you. Just when you think you are able to think in this way, you realize that in the blink of an eye you can be vulnerable to your own characterizations and stereotypes you have within you.
Then there is also how well made the movie is. The cast is TOP NOTCH. Sure, we don't get to know many of the characters as well as we would normally would in a non-ensemble cast film, but the performances are outstanding. Sandra Bullock steals every scene she is in. Don Cheadle is also outstanding in every scene. Outside of the performances of the main members of the cast, we also get scene stealers by Keith David, Beverly Todd, Tony Danza, and of course William Fitchner.
The score by Mark Isham is absolutely brilliant as well. The musical set piece for the flaming car scene with Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon is one of my favorite in film. The theme between Michael Pena and his daughter which reaches it's peak in the "cloak" scene nearly makes me cry every time I hear it.
Oh yeah, and then there's the fact that every single woman in this movie is absolutely beautiful, especially Sandra Bullock, Nona Gaye, Jennifer Esposito, Thandie Newton, and Bahar Soomekh.
If you need any other reason to appreciate this movie you can at least appreciate the fact that it's a total underdog story in and of itself. Paul Haggis isn't exactly a director that pulls a lot of studio clout. Sure, he's a fantastic writer, but getting this project off the ground was no small feat. When was the last time you saw a film opening with a Bob Yari Production emblem?? This isn't exactly a film from the big studios with the big backing.
Interesting, I understand your points here. I personally like to separate a film's background from the final product as I feel it leads to unfair bias, however your comments about Paul Haggis are fair.
The score was very good, added a level of grandiose and scale to the film without getting in the way too much. I will also point out, to be fair, that the cinematography was very good.
I don't really see how the women being beautiful affects the film in any meaningful way, although I agree that many performances are good (despite the horrendous dialogue), with Keith David being a personal favourite.
I feel that my biggest issue with the film's message is I feel it's too simple, too dated and too safe. Racism is bad and don't judge. Did anyone really need to be told that again? In the 60's/70's this would be a fairly bold move, however the vast majority of the audience totally understands the moral core of the film before it begins. So what is the point? The film is 100% devoted to its moral and nothing else (there are no characters not connected to racism, and there are no other themes in the film that don't directly connect back to racism). Therefore, the film is pointless. As pointless as a lesson in how to share for adults. We all know how to share, and even those who don't won't care even if they're told again.
I appreciate your viewpoint, and the response was very well written, however I still see to find much value in the film's core.
For me, at least--but I think for many people--there's a difference between knowing an idea or principle or "moral" with one's head, and knowing it viscerally in one's gut. Yeah, many of us can talk PC and hold many "right" attitudes, but to see/experience in very powerful and convincing ways that stereotypes are often much too simplistic, is a significant contribution, IMO. The scene where Matt Dillon--the white, prick cop who had previously been sexually inappropriate to taunt and humiliate the black woman he was "searching"--risks his life to save hers will always remain with me. It drives home very powerfully, I think, that even the people we may be most ready to stereotype, can do heroic or dastardly things under different circumstances.
shareI have some rebuttals to this defense, although it is a valid defense nonetheless.
1. He is a police officer. This has two effects, first it makes his sexual harassment (not merely inappropriate, it was almost rape) all the worse for the abuse of power the scene showcases. The second is that it is his job to save her, not nobility. He does it because it is his job to respond to these emergencies, he was not heroic in the slightest, he was just doing his job well.
2. The characters do not speak like real people. The racial slurs here are so astonishingly prevalent it becomes a drinking game. When was the last time you saw a person drop the N-bomb, in front of a black person? I doubt it happens often barbecue it instantly turns you into an *beep* in the eyes of others.
3. The film expects me to shrug of the crimes of thieves, sexual assailants and attempted murderers. I refuse this without a reason to care, which the film never even attempts to provide.
He didn't have to save her though. If you remember, the other cops pulled him out of the wreck and he went back in to save her anyway. Also, I disagree with you saying he is not heroic. By definition, to be heroic is to be brave; I think crawling back into a flaming wreck to save someone is heroic, no? - regardless of whether or not it's his job, he didn't have to save her but he risked his life doing so.
Its not that he had to or did not had to. Its not that if you (or myself) would have done the same thing. Every little things going around you will define who you are for a particular day or for the the moment. Some day you might be a selfless hero, another day, you might be a prick. You think you know who you are? You have no idea!!
shareThe racial slurs here are so astonishingly prevalent it becomes a drinking game. When was the last time you saw a person drop the N-bomb, in front of a black person? I doubt it happens often barbecue it instantly turns you into an *beep* in the eyes of others.
@Crystal915.Great response and I agree.
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I love this movie, so I'm gonna try to explain why. I read your review to get your perspective first.
The movie's message is not "racism is bad". It's a movie about how racism works and how it affects particular interpersonal relationships. It shows racism from many different perspectives over racial, class and age boundaries. It also examines the consequences that racist acts can have in depth. If anything, the movie has shown me how racism works, why it still exists and why it's probably not gonna go away soon.
I think that the movie shows racism as a particular form of hate that infects the relationships between people. Much like regular hate, its motivations can be very complicated and a single hateful act can cause more hateful acts down the line until someone takes a deep breath and puts a conscious stop to it. Racism, in the view of the movie's writer appears to be a kind of shorthand that people often jump to when they feel anger/hate for another person (often for completely unrelated reasons). Obviously, not all of us are as racist as some characters in the movie, but most of us commit acts of racism at some point in our life – smaller ones often without even realising. In the end it's the seemingly tolerant guy who reads a particular situation completely wrong and ends up shooting the black kid. He clearly doesn't consider himself as a racist, yet he was obviously thinking in racist stereotypes in that situation and it escalated tragically.
It's a little hackneyed that all the storylines and all the characters in the movie converge, but that's a shorthand that movies are allowed to take. In reality, all our storylines converge, too – just in a way that's too complicated to oversee for a single person.
In your review, you specifically mention the line about how large windows in buses are there to show the black people inside the bus. It's not the movie itself that says that and expects you to take it as a fact. It's a line from a not-too-smart character who likes to pontificate about racism, but hasn't understood it nearly as well as he thinks. The character (Anthony) sees racism everywhere and has completely gone overboard with this worldview. The line is absurd and you're meant to laugh or at least grin at it.
If there is a message, it might indeed be "Don't judge", as you pointed out. An even better way to put it might be "Don't judge – here's why". It's the latter part that makes the plot interesting.
Ultimately, though, the movie is not all about its message, because then it would suck as a movie. It's helped along greatly by many astonishingly good performances and an excellent score.
For a start, thank you. Your response was very concise and I greatly appreciate it. I now have more understanding as to why people could like this film, even if I do not (also thanks for actually reading my review).
I still feel the film fails to make an actual point beyond, racism is bad. Nothing seems to add up to anything, and my criticism about the sexual assault stands. It is unnecessary and robs any chance of giving the character dimensions or reliability, he is a monster from that point on. The film fails to use this monstrosity to any effect, and instead tries to redeem him, which is foolhardy at best, disgusting at worst.
But seriously, thanks for the in depth response. That was exactly what I was searching for (unlike the previous responder who just called me a retard).
The cinematography is not great, it is ok. Also, why do I have to be objective? It's my opinion, not yours. If I didn't like something, it's my right to say so. Also, the performances were largley mediocre, none were great. A few were decent. You have really quote mined me into oblivion heaven't you?
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I liked the film. I didn't love it, in fact I thought it was very flawed, but I did like it more than I expected. I definitely liked the cinematography, and the idea of interconnecting lives is a sure-fire win for me when it comes to films. It relied on coincidence quite a lot, but still.
I wish I could give more reasons, but that's about it. It's one of those films where I just thought "that was pretty good" when it ended, and I can't say why. Sorry to be of not much help, really.
I love this film because it didn't need to go into the depths of character development for any one person in the film. It shows the generalized racial, ethnic and socioeconomic tensions that each and every one of us can and do feel at times, and the way they are all intertwined in the end tied it all together for me perfectly. The fact that Ryan Phillipes character goes from a good cop with racial sensitivity trying to distance himself from bad cops, to someone who ends up killing a black guy based on racial bias/fear near the end also was a realistic depiction that even someone who doesn't see the world that way can make terrible choices that are based on bias.
I can't understand anyone 'hating' this film, I don't know where your in depth review can be found, but hating it just doesn't make sense to me. I can only assume you're a young guy/girl who hasn't lived long enough to understand the many aspects of the tensions in the film. Disliking it and giving it a 5/10 I could understand, saying you hate it leads me to believe your movie watching experiences aren't all that vast and diverse. I enjoyed it enough to save it on my DVR and I often put it on before bed and doze off while it's still on because I find it a super film that deserves the score found here given by the masses of movie goers. Hate is horrible word, I don't find myself using the term much, especially when it comes to things as trivial as movies...
About that review, it can be found in the review section on the Crash page. Look around for a bit and you'll find it.
I do hate this film, and I thank you for your reasonable and ordered response, so I feel I owe you my own explanation.
Crash is a film wherein none of the characters acted remotely like real people in my opinion. The accidental shooting scene could have had weight, however the leap that had to have been taken by that policeman in order to shoot him was ridicules and not at all realistic (a killer for any film claiming to chronicle a real-life issue in a coherent fashion).
All of the acting in the film is of a quality that would be considered mediocre even by the standards of a soap opera (which this film essential is, except condensed into a 2 hour film, in a cinematic release it is embarrassing. Any pathos that could be gleamed from this story is sucked away by the bland and inexpressive actors. However the dialogue is laughably on the nose anyway.
Nothing is left to be interpreted, everything is surface level and simple enough for children to grasp. It is insulting to the issue at hand for it to explained away in such a brainless way. Comparing this film to any other covering a similar issue shows how pathetic and watered down it is. American History X, Brokeback Mountain (different subject, however a similarly complex issue), etc.
This film is a limp and flaccid waste of film stock. If you care to respond I welcome it, I do understand why people like this film, however I still view it as an utter failure and suggest you find something more worth the money spent making it.
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Crash is a film wherein none of the characters acted remotely like real people in my opinion. The accidental shooting scene could have had weight, however the leap that had to have been taken by that policeman in order to shoot him was ridicules and not at all realistic (a killer for any film claiming to chronicle a real-life issue in a coherent fashion).
All of the acting in the film is of a quality that would be considered mediocre even by the standards of a soap opera (which this film essential is, except condensed into a 2 hour film, in a cinematic release it is embarrassing. Any pathos that could be gleamed from this story is sucked away by the bland and inexpressive actors. However the dialogue is laughably on the nose anyway.
Nothing is left to be interpreted, everything is surface level and simple enough for children to grasp. It is insulting to the issue at hand for it to explained away in such a brainless way. Comparing this film to any other covering a similar issue shows how pathetic and watered down it is. American History X, Brokeback Mountain (different subject, however a similarly complex issue), etc.
Hate is a strong word and I do not use it often. But I do hate crash. It has been over 18 months since I saw the film and I still find things to get angry about.
Basically I would say to summarise my feelings, that this is a film that treats it's audience like and auditorium of children. It is a lecture, or perhaps a traveling theater trope teching moral lessons from school to school. Why even bother watching the film? You are spoonfed the message in slevery scene, and the moment independant thought is used the film falls apart.
The only thing people in this world think about is race. It is sad to say that characters can only be described in how they relate to the issue, with only surface level traits aside. The characters are strawmen, nothing more, there to either be idolised or torn down. It is somw of the worst character writing I have ever seen.
I will write another review on my blog in tbe future after rewatching the film to gkve a definitive opinion, however for now all I can say is that I hate this film. In the hundreds of films I have seen as an amatuer critic and film student, this is one of the worst.
I like this fim exactly for the reason that it looks simple. Some people crash (metaforically and literally) in the city for a few days and one can see the life in the city.. I mean the real life, because it only looks simplistic, but it is too complicated under the surface.
I'm not American and maybe that's why I don't see the rasism but the prejudices as a center of the movie. Sandra Bullock (I mean the rich and 'happy' housewife)has only one real friend, ..her housekeeper.. Isn't it ironic? And what about the confict between the Iranian guy and Mexican guy: it is social, not rasist. That's why I like the film: simple, normal and very colorful.
I also hated this movie. It was ridiculous. However, I find this line of yours interesting:
"The only thing people in this world think about is race. It is sad to say that characters can only be described in how they relate to the issue, with only surface level traits aside. "
This reminds me of how people appear and act on social media all the time. I am annoyed and disgusted by people very often when I log into facebook. Everyone is a hysterical caricature and ready to declare allegiance to one thing or another. Nobody wants to be an individual anymore and view others as individuals.
When I watched Crash it when it was newly released, so before social media really exploded. Before the internet became as ubiquitous as it is now. Maybe Crash would feel different now, now that everyone in this world is as ridiculous as the characters in this movie. Maybe I should re-watch it. But... just thinking about sitting through this tripe again is exhausting.
"Crash is a film wherein none of the characters acted remotely like real people in my opinion. The accidental shooting scene could have had weight, however the leap that had to have been taken by that policeman in order to shoot him was ridicules and not at all realistic"
Black youths get killed by cops all the time. Have you not been paying attention to the news. As for people not acting like real people, I don't think that's true.
I suspect you aren't very old? How much exposure have you had to stereotypes during your life? Have you ever believed any of them? Are you white or ethnic? I'm white and I was born in the 1950's. Racism was much more open then, but I don't think it has decreased a great deal.
A lot of people think Iranians are Arabs. They are not, although to me they resemble each other. Iranians are Persians. They do not speak Arabic. They speak Persian, or Farsi. Some people think all asian people are Chinese. Some people think that all Hispanic people are Mexican. If you were one of those groups, you would be aware of how often it happens, and how annying it is.