Review of Crash (2005) by Davidm — 24 May 2005

Crash is a powerful, emotionally wrenching film. It's about how people can be racist without realizing it, or even wanting to, because it has become a part of society. "Duh..." you say? "Why make an ugly movie about racism?" You have just answered your own question--because we gloss over racism nowadays.

Instead of celebrating our differences as diversity, we use them to keep anyone "not of our kind" at arm's length. All of the characters in this movie are flawed human beings, with their own backgrounds, motivations and fears.

We see them "crash" into each other, unaware (or unwilling to be aware) of how we are all connected as a society. The behavior and actions of each character has far-reaching effects into the lives of the other characters who then are in a position to effect them back.

Ultimately these are anti-heroes to begin with, and we see the havok their actions create, leading downward and downward as recriminations and retaliations pile up. Although this is a dark and depressing film, we do catch glimpses that some of these people are realizing the effects their prejudice is having on themselves and the people around them.

It's not a total redemption--the final scene brings the story full circle--but ultimately the movie has shown us that racism is bitterly self-consuming and self-defeating, but there *is* turning back.