Crash - Personal Review

1. What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie? Support your answer with examples.
The director wanted to express how the issue of race is still so prevalent in society today, maybe even more so. It is always said that the United States is the melting pot of cultures, but I believe it is more like a tossed salad because none of the cultures are mixing, they are staying strong to who they are. Crash is the ultimate depiction of tension of nationalities and races.
2. If applicable, discuss if you think this movie has accurate depictions of minorities or if they are situational? Why or why not?
This movie has accurate depictions of minorities on a stereotypical level. It has African-Americans stealing, Asians driving badly, Hispanics working low-wage, service job and Caucasians as the rich, snooty people.
3. Explain if you think the director’s ethnic/cultural/professional background played a role in directing this film?
The director’s professional background consists of him always thinking outside of the box. With his work, he wanted to make people think about his movie critically and argue about what they had just seen. He wants his films to spark conversations that maybe not be easy to discuss, but that need to be discussed. The issue of racial, cultural and socioeconomic tensions are topics no one wants to discuss and in Crash, Paul Higgins just put all of it out there for people to see.
4. What groups (people of color, nationality, culture, class, gender etc.) may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why?
There are many people who could be offended by this movie. African-Americans could be offended by the way they were made out to be criminals. Asian could be offended by the way they were made out to be smugglers of people and bad drivers. Hispanics could be offended by the perception that they work low-wage, service jobs. Caucasians could be offended by the way they are portrayed as racists.
5. What the movie added to your visual literacy?
The moved added the asset of focusing on one character at a time and building on their life. The environment in which they lived and those who they surrounded themselves with developed their characters. This was depicted visually and not just through dialogue and exposition.
6. What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?
The director used overlapping storylines as a way to artistically tell the story. The characters had major impacts on each other’s lives. An event for one of them would lead them to react in a way that affected another character’s life.