Review of Crash (2005) by Chads. — 05 May 2005

Here is the most provocative scene: two African-American males run over a Chinese man, trying to unlock his curbside vehicle. They refer to him as a "Chinaman", as in "there's a Chinaman under my car" with the same irreverence you'd find in "Pulp Fiction" or a David Chapelle sketch.

It's played for laughs as a means to bait some of the audience into laughing. Politically incorrect humor can often be funny but you need to consider the context. Some people will find it funny, and some people will be horrified at the lack of acknowledgment that the man they hit needs a label.

Much will be said about the rescue and the divine intervention scene, but this is the real heart of the film. You find out who you are. This scene doesn't tell you how to react. "Crash" swings for the fences, and clears them, with authority.

Walking out of the theater, I was reminded of being baffled by ESPN Radio's Rob Dibble bashing of Ichiro Suzuki as being a poor leadoff hitter because the Japanese native didn't look at enough pitches.

Suzuki's batting average was .372. I wonder if that was one of the reasons why his contract wasn't renewed.