CRASH

US, 2004, 113 minutes, Colour.
Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Tony Danza, Keith David, Loretta Devine, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Beverly Todd.
Directed by Paul Haggis.

Here is a solid drama with important themes that would be of interest to adult audiences. However, Crash contains a number of very angry characters who express themselves forthrightly in rough language that may not be to everyone's taste. It does seem a strong film to illustrate weakness and sinfulness in human nature but with the possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.

As noted, Crash is a film about anger. It is also about pride, covetousness, greed, lust, sloth and envy. In fact, the film is a serious reminder that we are all affected by original sin, that we are affected by personal sin, both sins of our own and sins of others, and there are serious consequences.

An initial voiceover tells us that in cities, people bump into each other all the time, that they have the experience of literally touching and being touched. However, in Los Angeles, nobody walks. People all drive and avoid human touch. The voice wonders whether people crash just to make human contact. The film has a great number of characters and they soon start bumping into each other, sometimes with dire consequences, sometimes with hope.

The immediate issue that alerts us to the film's seriousness and, indeed, can put the audience on edge, is that of racism. Like many modern cities, Los Angeles is a melting pot of peoples and cultures. While respect for different people is a continual hope, this does not always happen in practice. African Americans and whites clash abusively. Asians are insulted. People of Middle East origins are taunted about their lack of clear English and humiliated. The result is smouldering rage and outbursts of irrational violence.

Sandra Bullock, as a wealthy and arrogant District Attorney's wife, states at the end of the film that she had erupted against blacks who hijacked her car but that that was not really the cause of her anger. She says she wakes up angry every day.

Of course, she probably has the least reason for anger. A black television director (Terence Howard) submits meekly to taunts and is shamed as a bigoted police officer (Matt Dillon) manhandles his wife (Thandie Newton) when they are pulled over for no real reason. The partner (Ryan Philippe) later does a good deed for the director but is soon a violent victim of society's subconscious racist suspicions. On the other hand, we see the bigot caring for his ailing father and involved in rescuing a woman from a crash.

Don Cheadle is a competent police officer, having an affair with his partner, trying to care for his erratic mother, too busy to care for his delinquent brother (Larenz Tate) and being offered promotion by authorities if he complies with a cover-up by Internal Affairs.

While there are angry sequences, there are some moments of real beauty and goodness: the rescue from the crashed car and a tender scene between a locksmith and his five year old daughter which precedes one of the most frightening scenes where a frustrated Arab draws a gun on the locksmith.

The film was co-written and directed by Paul Haggis who was screenwriter for Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning film, Million Dollar Baby. He has created a serious portrait of flawed human beings, not shirking the ungliness of their malice, but ultimately reminding us that we cannot judge people on surface evidence. Haggis also enables us to leave the cinema believing in forgiveness and hope.

1. The title, the accidental crash at the beginning and its consequences? The voice-over and the comments on people bumping into each other and making contact, in Los Angeles bumping as the only way of contact? Making links? The way this meaning was illustrated throughout the stories?

2. The screenplay, the interlinking of the characters, a providence, synchronicity, coincidence?

3. The portrait of Los Angeles, the city, the poor areas, the rich areas? Police stations? The district attorney? The world of television? Night and day? The musical score?

4. The strong cast and their skills in portraying a range of characters, mouthing not politically statements, highlighting dramatic and racial issues?

5. The importance of the race issues, their being highlighted, the range of characters discussing the issues, especially Anthony and Peter? Graham and his observations, his mother? Jean? The DA? Christine and Cameron and their experience of racist attitudes? The intercutting of these themes?

6. The initial accident, Graham and his presence, Ria and her assistance (and the revelation of his relationship with her)? The flashback, the two days of the action, the intercutting of the incident and themes? Audience expectations?

7. Graham’s story: his success, ambitions, his affair with Ria, his mother’s phone call and putting her off, his not wanting to take responsibility for Peter, the shooting? Gathering the information? The corrupt policeman, his taking a stance, Internal Affairs? Flanagan and the discussions? His discussions with the DA? The blackmail about his brother? Discovering his brother dead? Going to the hospital? His mother and her grief, her upbraiding him, praising Peter for bringing in the groceries when he Graham had bought them? His own blaming himself? His future and his compromises?

8. Peter and Anthony, the introduction to them, the talk as they walked down the street, the car-stealing, the focus on prejudice and police with black suspects? Audience interest in them, sympathy or not? Robbing the car, taking it, trying to sell it, the blood and the car? Finding the Chinese? Their attitude towards people in the bus – the poor people? The robbing of the van, discovering the Asian migrants? Anthony ultimately letting them go? Their argument? Peter walking, his being a normal young man, the influence of Anthony? His devotion to St Christopher and the medal and the repercussions of this? His hitching the ride, his meeting up with Officer Hanson, their talking, his laughing about the St Christopher medal, his getting it from his pocket, his being shot? His body being left on the side of the road? Anthony, surviving, on the bus, freeing the immigrants?

9. Jean and Rick, wealthy, the society function, Rick as the district attorney? The argument at night, the locks on the door, Jean and her anger at the locksmith? Her treatment of Maria? Her racist attitudes? Phone calls to her friend? Falling down, the hospital? Her reflections on her anger, embracing Maria? Rick, exasperation with Jean, the locksmith? Election issues, the information about the corrupt policeman, the discussions with Graham, going into the press conference? Keeping up appearances?

10. The locksmith, his ethnic background, his diligence in his work, Jean and her tantrum, insulting him, especially about the key? His leaving the key? Going home to his little girl, giving her the necklace, her fifth birthday? His wife? Going to work for the Iranian, the Iranian being angry with his work, his explaining the specifications for the door? The accident with his family? The Iranian coming, threatening the girl, her being saved, the parents’ grief, their joy? The victim of racial tensions both from white and from Asians?

11. The Iranian family, the father, his angers, his shop? The daughter and her self-assurance? The buying and selling, the insults by the police? The shop and the lock? Finding his shop smashed, the insurance man, Asian, and the discussions? The accident? His getting the gun, buying the gun and the insults of the man at the shop? The confrontation, the shooting? His shock, being with his daughter, his confessing to her?

12. Officer Ryan and Officer Hanson? Their work together? Their stopping Christine and Cameron, Ryan and the background of his father and his illness? His molesting Christine, humiliating her, humiliating Cameron? Letting them go? His phone call to the hospital about his father, his being abusive, the visit and the reaction of the woman on duty? Hanson and his going to the officer in charge, the discussions about attitude, the reasons for his wanting a transfer? The officer and his explaining his rise, not wanting to compromise it, advising compromises? The accident, Ryan and his desperate efforts to save Christine, her response? The audience and the ambivalent attitudes towards Ryan after his molestation and after his heroism? His devotion to his father and yet his anger and abuse?

13. Hanson and his going alone, his being advised to know himself, his saving Cameron from Anthony and Peter? His picking up Peter, the St Christopher medal, his not wanting to be biased, his fearing the gun, shooting Peter and disposing of the body? Going against all his principles?

14. Cameron and Christine, the night out, being held up by the police, Cameron and his seeming to be weak, Christine and her being upset, drinking? The experience of the molestation by Ryan, humiliated? At home, the anger? The next day? Cameron and his being a television director, at the studio, the discussions about actors and what should be said, the producers humiliating Cameron, his accepting it? His being held up, the taking of the van? His anger and not caring? His being helped by Hanson? The reconciliation with Christine?

15. The Internal Affairs investigation, Flanagan and his personality, the interview with Graham, the information about the corrupt officers, the race issues, the drugs, the planting of the gun? Its relationship with the re-election of the district attorney?

16. The range of characters, principal and supporting: a bird’s eye view of Los Angeles, the range of suburbs, societies, issues?

17. The religious themes of sin, the deadly sins, the possibility of some kind of redemption?