“Western civilization, Christianity and decency are struggling for their very lives. In this
worldwide civil war, race prejudice is our most dangerous enemy; it is a disease at the
very root of our democratic life.”
~Mordecai Wyatt Johnson
Discrimination in today's society exists on a multitude of levels. Paul Haggis's
Crash effectively portrays many of these levels of discrimination; some of these include
government oppression, hate crimes, and unflattering cultural stereotypes. Crash is an
intrinsic look at racial prejudice. This film does not sugar coat the topic, but rather, it
delves right into the heart of the issue. Crash seeks to explore the idea that prejudice
thoughts show up in people of all races, economic strata, and occupations. Haggis's film
is an eye-opening experience. It enables its viewers to recognize the influence of racist
ideas in their own behavior.
“Lukewarm acceptance is more bewildering than outright rejection.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written and directed by Paul Haggis, Crash (2004) is a film about racism in an
America that is as diverse as it is intolerant. Today’s America, or Haggis’ interpretation
of it, has not caught up in maturity for what years of immigration have granted it in a
diverse population. Haggis’s America does not know the difference between tolerance
and understanding. There is a slight contentment with the strained conditions in which
the characters of Crash find themselves. The unapologetic way in which race is shown to
affect the daily lives of those involved is refreshing to see from a major studio release;
even more refreshing are the online discussion boards and blogs which showcase
viewer’s reactions to the film. According to these, many people have been deeply – if
only momentarily – moved by the drama of the movie and seem to have recommended it
to friends and family. Crash did not do well in the theaters nor was it advertised very
well during its release. Could this be attributed to the growing tendency in movie going
audiences to seek out pure entertainment when paying the $8+ to see a film? On the
other hand, is race really just a tired issue with nothing left to discuss or discover? On
the other hand, the film won the Oscar for “Best Original Screenplay”.
The idea of what makes or breaks a movie’s success in the society of today is
interesting. Is there room for truly analytical film? To what extent has the medium of
filmmaking been affected by such things as internet buzz or digital technology? The two
can be tied together: in an era where there are more and more things to utilize in order to
‘escape’ the realities of now (from television to surfing the interest to on-demand movies
to a theatrical experience) have we lost the urge to be confronted, to challenge and be
challenged by the technology we have integrated into our lives? In an era where mass
murder video games are an everyday part of our lives, have we become de-sensitized to
the true issues in life? Media has become so insensitive to death and issues such as
racism. It seems that society as become so intent upon the personal lives and dramas of
celebrities – Living vicariously through the excitement of the famous.
“Everyone is a prisoner of his own experience. No one can eliminate prejudices--just
recognize them.”
~Edward R. Murrow
Racism is a universal controversy, brought out by the separations within societies.
Prejudices will never cease to exist; human beings are constantly judging one another. It
is important to make ourselves aware of the prejudices we hold toward other human
beings. If we cannot consciously be aware of the actions, we take how can we grow as
people?
The film glimpses into the lives of many people in many different fields and takes
into account how people's lifestyles lead towards their own prejudices against others. We
often fail to see the good in others because our minds are so consumed with our past
experiences. Ryan, the "evil" cop in Crash, is so full of hatred towards men and women
of color that he sexually assaults a woman, and tells an HMO worker there are five or six
white guys that should have had her job. Ryan's hatred stems from the fact that his
father's business was shut down because the city was only contracting companies owned
by minorities. His father was now suffering from prostate cancer, and unable to receive
treatment as he did not have the proper health insurance and could not afford such
treatment on his own. While this is in no way justifies Ryan's actions, it does help to
understand where his thoughts stem from.
Our experiences in life define who we are as people; our thoughts, actions and the
manner in which we express these things show our true character. The characters in
Crash are everyday people trying to get by, but in some way are affected by or the cause
of racial prejudices. Even the district attorney’s wife is surrounded by racial prejudice,
she lives in a sheltered world where she believes that those do not look, dress, and act
exactly as she does are against her in some way. She literally tells the locksmith to his
face she thinks that is a no good low life thug.
The longer racism goes untouched the deeper the prejudices will run. What will
the future of America look like? Minority populations are already increasing at
staggering rates, to the point where the minority will eventually become the majority.
Racism will undoubtedly still exist in this future society, but will the new majority be the
oppressors? It is possible that the majority of wealth and power will stay where it
currently is, and the people who hold that power will do so with revived passion due to
the new social threat.
In Crash, the reference to affirmative action by Ryan is representative of the way
that some Americans view the social policy. Affirmative action is the compensation for
the lack of opportunities to minorities and a reimbursement for the oppression that they
have experienced. In the future, will there be a need policy if America consists of more
minorities than Caucasian men?
Today, one large group is often seen as the social and economic tyrant of our
culture. Caucasian middle class heterosexual men are often seen as social scapegoats
because they seem to be the societal branch that experiences the least amount of
discrimination, and the branch who implements the greatest deal of oppression. Is it
really fair to blame this group for the pitfalls of society when every person is racist in
some way, whether consciously or not?
Individuals can discriminate on a personal level with the people they encounter,
but the collective thoughts and actions of many are what have turned our society into a
place of reverse equality. One racist comment may emotionally wound a person, but a
collection of wounds may cause that individual to start believing that they are less worthy
and capable of success than other races. In Crash two young characters, Peter and
Anthony, criticize a white woman walking down the street for moving closer to her
husband for fear of the two men. Moments later Peter and Anthony are holding a gun to
her head and stealing her vehicle.
The views which society holds about the role of a young African American male
have caused the woman to shy away from the two young men, and similar reactions from
the Caucasian race and media may have caused the young men to a life of crime. The
lack of visible African American role models in our society often causes the young black
population to believe that they are not capable, worthy, or able to achieve success, and
therefore the population becomes their own oppressors.
Racism is a sensitive topic. Where do we draw the line between funny and
offensive? How do we know when we are crossing the line? The lines are hazy and
always will be, but as long as we continue to ignore the ever-pressing problem, nothing
will be solved and this disease will flourish. Racial prejudice is a disease, eating away at
the core of our society. Dividing it into pieces, what is most intriguing about our country,
is that the only true “nationals” are even discriminated against and not considered
“American.” What society needs is to realize that skin color is merely a one gene in the
entire human genome, and that gene is just as mundane as the color of our eyes.