Student Study Notes:
‘Crash’
Introduction
Crash is the controversial winner of the 2006 Best Picture Oscar, coming from behind in a late
run to snatch the prize from the frontrunner Brokeback Mountain. Independently produced,
on a very small budget ($US6½ million), it is the first film bought at a film festival to win Best
Picture – and the first Best Picture in 30 years to win only three Oscars.
The film did not get overwhelming support from the critics when it was released. A quarter of
those surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes (the Internet site that monitors and collates film
criticism), including many of America's more thoughtful and prestigious film writers, were
highly critical of its implausibilities, its schematic nature and its tendency to have characters
make speeches rather than deliver realistic dialogue. Other writers, however, welcomed its
ambition and its courage in confronting head on the difficult issue of racism.
Perhaps the most useful approach to the film is to treat it not as a slice of realism but as a
parable, a morality play, in which the coincidences are deliberate contrivances to demonstrate
attitudes.
One thing that all the critics agree on is the quality of the acting. Thandie Newton won
BAFTA, Empire and London Film Critics awards for her performance as Christine. Only one
cast member - Matt Dillon (Ryan) - was nominated for an Oscar (for Supporting Actor), though
Terrence Howard (Cameron) was nominated for Best Actor for a different film. But almost
every one of the main cast has been singled out in one review or another for praise; the
Broadcast Film Critics in America and the Screen Actors' Guild gave the cast their awards for
the best acting ensemble of the year.
Whether one is convinced the film is good, as the Academy voters decided, or is, as Glenn
Kenny, Premier magazine film critic, described it, a "simplistic, earnest, facile, PowerPointpresentation-disguised-as-a-movie", it is still an excellent film to teach and study. The very
schematic nature of its structure will make it easy for students to write about, and questions of
quality should encourage as lively a debate as the central thematic issues. Critical excerpts
have been included to stimulate debate.
The structure is patterned on a recently popularised format: a large ensemble cast take on
the roles of a number of individuals, most of whom are strangers to one another, and who
collide during one 36 hour period. It makes a conventional plot summary rather difficult to
write, so a diagrammatic approach is suggested.
The pervasive use of bad language throughout poses a problem for students writing in
exams; rather than risk offending a marker, it is suggested that they simply leave out the
expletives when they quote. It is easy to do and seldom changes the meaning of what is said.
Note the masterful use of colour in this scene.
Racism collides with its targets during one thirty-six-hour period in Los Angeles. Alive with
bracing human drama and blistering wit, the film benefits from the strong directing debut of
Paul Haggis, the screenwriter of Million Dollar Baby. In the style of Magnolia, Haggis and cowriter Bobby Moresco weave many stories (too many) into the narrative. But the rage sticks,
as do the emotions underlying it... The acting is dynamite, notably by Dillon and Newton in
their shocking second encounter. Despite its preachy moments, the film is a knockout. In a
multiplex starved for ambition, why kick a film with an excess of it?
- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
After the First Viewing
These questions are probably best answered by students on their own rather than in groups; the
answers can then put aside to be revisited after the film has been studied, when they can be added to,
corrected if necessary, and discussed in class. The questions can be useful for revision as well.
However, the questions would be equally useful as discussion starters for groups or the class as a
whole. Qu. 7 is a good group exercise if that is preferred.
 Attempt to answer these questions after the first viewing. You may not be able to answer
them all at this stage, but the questions will be a good guide as to what to look for as you
study the film more closely.
Before you start, note down your immediate responses to what you have seen. How did
the film make you feel? Did it make you think? Were your opinions or attitudes changed
by it? Which characters did you empathise with? dislike? feel sorry for?
1.
2.
The central issue of the film is clearly racism. How many different races are
represented in the film?

White, including Italian (TV producer), Irish American (Ryan), Russian (Lucien)

Korean, Asian illegals (Cambodian or Thai); Ken Ho, the insurance assessor, is
perhaps Vietnamese

Hispanic (Ria, Maria, Officer Gomez); Mexican (Daniel)

Black / African American

Iranian/Persian (Farhad)

a Native American on the bus
Did any of the main characters NOT show racist tendencies or express racist
sentiments? Who?
Daniel, Dorri, Peter (Maria, though not a main character)
3.
One of the main techniques used in the film is setting up a situation or character
and then overturning our – or characters' - resultant expectations. How many
examples of this can you list?
Ryan – racist and hero
Hanson – decent type, means well, yet shoots Peter
Graham - forced to
compromise
Daniel – taken as a criminal but is a loving father
Anthony - a thief; releases
Asians
Shaniqua objects to Ryan's racism but abuses her
own power
Jean – seems strong but is lonely and vulnerable
Ria – of Graham re his mother
4.
Parallels and contrasts are frequently used in the film. How many did you
notice?
[When you return to this list during your close reading, don't just add more examples;
also note the ways in which they are similar and different.]
See page 39
5.
Irony is used frequently throughout the film. Note examples. (Irony can be tragic
or comic.)
Anthony re buses, his insistence he does not steal from other Blacks; Jean's, Farhad's
distrust of Daniel; Graham selling his integrity to save his brother [See scene-byscene commentary for more]
6.
Although there is much that is tragic in the story, there are also glimpses of
hope. What are they?
Anthony releases the Asians; Farhad gives up his gun; Cameron finds himself again
and it seems the marriage will mend; Ryan's heroism; Jean's new appreciation of
Maria; Lara survives.
When we watch a film for the first time, we usually watch for the story; when we see it again,
we are more likely to notice how the story is told. However, you may already have noticed
some of the striking techniques used.
7.
Make a note of any significant techniques you remember seeing. You might
think about the use of the camera, transitions, special effects or the use of
motifs.
It is not important at this stage if students have or have not noticed any particular
techniques; the value of the exercise is for them to become aware of how much they
miss on the first viewing.
Close Reading the Text: Answer Guide
Task sheet 1: scenes 1 – 11 (DVD Ch 1 - 4)
Scene 1:
1.
2.
3.
What impression is given by the title sequence?
cars, lights, traffic - busy, car-dominated, stylised so simple realism not to be expected
What is unusual about the way this film opens?
a speech from darkness, off camera, before the speaker is shown let alone identified.
What do the first lines of dialogue signal to the audience?
A bit of a 'speech' rather than realistic conversation – establishes very quickly one of
the subjects and thematic concerns of the film, and the place. References to crashing
are metaphoric – also unusual.
4.
Which characters are introduced? What is your immediate impression of each?
Detective Graham Waters and his Latino partner Ria (surname never given); Korean
Kim Lee. Graham is thoughtful, philosophical; Ria is more practical, less whimsical.
She makes fun of Kim Lee's English – sets a pattern which will recur several times in
the film.
5.
Explain briefly what has happened to these characters?
Ria, who is driving, had stopped at the back of a line of stationary traffic; Kim Lee has
failed to stop and rear-ended Ria's car, spinning it round a couple of times.
6.
Some important pieces of information are given in this scene. What are they?
Graham and Ria are detectives; have just arrived at a crime scene; the film is set in
L.A.; a kid has died
7.
Comment on Detective Waters' reaction to the crime scene.
His initial reaction is 'business as usual'. He doesn't react to the chillingly laconic 'Dead
kid.' He goes about his business; when he catches sight of the body – we become
more aware of this when the scene is revisited – his face freezes and takes on the
lineaments of tragedy.
Scene 2
8.
Who are the main characters introduced here? What impression is given of
each?
Farhad and his daughter Dorri. He is irascible, quick to take offence; asserts his rights.
She is sensible, strong, not easily cowed; refuses to react to the overt sexual innuendo
of the gun shop owner.
9.
What words tell us Dorri does not want her father to buy a gun?
Dorri: Another good reason not to buy one. / Farhad: Don't start with me again.
10.
Given that, why is she there helping him?
He is obviously determined, and since he does not read English (we learn this later)
and is clearly easily angered, she no doubt decided helping him not to make a bad
choice was the lesser of two evils.
11.
Why does the shop owner get annoyed?
They speak in Farsi, and seem to take too long to make up their minds. (Not that the
shop is so busy he couldn't be patient).
What mistaken assumption does he make about his customer?
That Farhad is an Arab – i.e. a possible terrorist.
12.
13.
What important information is given in this scene that becomes relevant only
later?
Farhad does not read English (so he will not know the bullets are only blanks). Not that
the bullets are blanks; we do not learn this until the end.
Film Techniques
 Use the provided work sheets or rule up your own paper, and analyse the
cinematic techniques of scenes 1 and 2.
See p. 27.
Scene 3
14.
Two more characters are introduced. Who are they?
Anthony; Peter Waters. They have known each other for years, since childhood
(backstory). Their ease and familiarity with each other show this.
15.
What initial impression do we get of them? How is this undercut?
Anthony is articulate, impassioned, funny, righteously indignant and seeing racism
everywhere. Peter is more balanced, more rational; laughs at Anthony. Is a very
likeable young man.
They are soon revealed to be gun-carrying car thieves – so it is quite reasonable for
Jean Cabot to be afraid of them.
16.
What do we learn about the Cabots in this scene?
Jean complains about the fact that Rick he is on the phone to his assistant Karen all
the time. Rick suggests she is jealous of Karen. (possible s/p)
Scenes 4 - 11
17.
What is Anthony's objection to the St Christopher statuette?
He calls it a 'voodoo-assed thing' – i.e. superstition – and doesn't like the way Peter
sticks it to the dashboard – objects to the 'big slobbery suction rings'.
18.
Why are the Cabots having the locks on their house changed?
Presumably their house keys were on the Navigator key-ring.
19.
What is Jean's objection to Daniel, who is changing the locks? Why is this
ironic?
He has a shaved head, 'pants around his ass' and a 'prison tattoo'. In other words, his
appearance is threatening; he looks like a criminal.
Ironic because he is the sweetest of characters: he is a loving and protective father, he
tries to avoid problems; he never says anything bad about anybody; he is always polite.
The second example of not judging by appearances – Anthony and Peter don't dress
like gang-bangers yet are armed thieves; Daniel is taken for a gang member yet is the
opposite.
20.
What important information about Rick do we learn in scene 6? Why are Karen
and Bruce at his home?
That he is the District Attorney of L.A. – the top law enforcement officer in the city. It is
an elected position, which is why he is so conscious of bad publicity. Karen is his
personal assistant; Bruce also works for him. They are there to try to stop the
potentially bad publicity.
21.
What is the cheque Park gives to Mr Choi payment for? [7] When do we find
this out?
Park has paid him for the Asians in the van; they will be sold on as slaves. We learn
this only at the end [49].
22.
Why does Ryan chase Cameron's vehicle, even after he is told it is not the stolen
one? [11]
He is angry over getting nowhere with Shaniqua, and his (correct) assumption that she
is black. He takes his anger out on the next black he sees.
23.
Where does Cameron tell Ryan that he and his wife have just come from? [11]
An awards ceremony - he is a TV director.
24.
What is the reason Christine gives for Cameron's not drinking? [11]
He is a Buddhist.
Overall
25.
Where is the film set? How do we know?
In L.A. – Graham refers to it in his opening lines; the aerial view of the city
26.
When is it set? How do we know?
Close to Christmas – all the decorations; screen text 'yesterday' suggests a small time
span – which turns out to be true. (Only 36 hours)
27.
Setting is not just time and place; it is also society. What social groups have
been introduced so far?
Whole range: police and law enforcement; DA and his wife and staff – wealth,
influence, power
Criminal class – two black car-jackers; blue collar: gun shop, Farhad and his daughter,
Daniel
28.
What mood is established? How?
So far, apart from Graham's philosophical and reflective opening lines, the mood has
been mostly fearful, angry, aggressive. Anthony and Peter's opening dialogue injected
some blackish comedy.
Film techniques
29.
Contrast is an important technique used in this film. Cite examples from these scenes.
The comedy of Anthony's diatribe and the ugliness of the robbery; that Peter carries a
gun and a St Christopher; guns and Christmas decorations; between the ordinary
friendliness of Ryan's tone and the offensiveness of what he is doing to Christine
Task Sheet 2: Scenes 12 - 38 (DVD Ch 5 - 13)
By scene 12, all main characters have been introduced and the basic plots are all
established.
The shocking episode of Ryan's assault on Christine and humiliation of Cameron [11] spins
all the characters involved in different directions; Farhad's gun and the door that won't close
[12] sets the next phase of that plot in motion.
1.
Why is Lara hiding under the bed? [14]
She heard a bang and was afraid it was a gunshot.
2.
In your own words, explain why Anthony says hip-hop is the 'music of the
oppressor'. [15]
Two reasons: it demeans blacks because they use insulting words for each other –
nigger, etc
He says it is the result of an FBI plot to rid America of articulate black men who were
being listened to. (Given the way the FBI targeted the Black Panther Movement, it is not
that far-fetched a theory.)
3.
Why does Dixon refuse to accept Hanson's complaint against Ryan? [16]
To accept a complaint against Ryan, who has been on the force for 17 years, would
reflect on his ability to run his department.
4.
What do we learn from scene 19 about how Peter and Anthony operate?
They steal to order – that's why they go after Cameron's Navigator, because that is what
Lucien has asked for.
5.
Why will the insurance company not pay out on Farhad's vandalised shop? [33]
Farhad did not get the door fixed when Daniel told him to – because he thought Daniel
was trying to get more money out of him – so it was his fault that the vandals were able to
get in.
'Backstory' is the word used for events that are deemed to have happened before the
film/play actually starts.
6.
What backstory is referred to in sc. 12?
Someone threatened Shereen with a gun; maybe he also damaged the door.
7.
What does the dialogue between Christine and Cameron reveal about their
backgrounds? [13]
She is from money and the upper class – she was in the equestrian team, which is
something the vast majority of blacks (and whites) in America would never be able to
aspire to. She suggests he is pretty middle class: "The closest you ever came to being
black, Cameron, was watching The Cosby Show." The very popular Cosby Show was
about a black doctor and his lawyer wife and their high-achieving kid. It was criticised for
not reflecting the reality of the lives of most blacks in America; Cosby's answer to that was
it showed them what was possible, something to aspire to.
8.
What happened to Daniel's family before this? [14]
They moved from their previous house into this 'safer' neighbourhood because a stray
bullet had gone through Lara's bedroom window.
Sub-text: Give (in your words) the apparent or surface reason for each of the following – and
then explain the real reason for each.
9.
Why Cabot is going to pursue Conklin over the shooting of Detective Lewis. [26]
Conklin's poor record – he has already killed two black people – though he was cleared.
Real reason: to divert media attention from the car-jacking.
10. Why Jean complains to Maria about the dishwasher. [ 28]
Maria isn't doing her work properly; real reason: Jean is looking for something to complain
about, someone to take her anger out on. (cf. Ryan)
11. Why Anthony criticises Mo Phat. [29]
He says Mo Phat steals from blacks – 'his own' - because he is afraid of whites who are a
legitimate target; real reason: despising Mo Phat makes Anthony feel better about
himself. He may be a criminal but he is not as low a criminal as Mo Phat. And stealing
only from whites can make him feel he is fighting a race war.
12. Why Fred complains to Cameron about Jamal. [30]
He says Jamal doesn't sound 'black' enough and this is spoiling the dynamics of the
show; real reason: puts Cameron in his place, reminds him he is just the hired help after
all, that the real power is with Fred. Hints that blacks should not try to get above
themselves.
13. Why Christine blames Cameron for what happened the night before. Why he walks
off. [32]
She says it is because his failure to stand up for her meant he was humiliated; real
reason: she felt powerless against Ryan and needs to blame someone else to help her
feel better. Anger is more cleansing than self-pity.
He is still smarting from Fred's power-play and feels Christine is undermining him even
further. He knows he was right to apologise to Ryan, given the situation, but he still feels
humiliated and angry that he had to. He wants Christine to understand this. He also feels
that she provoked Ryan's behaviour so has no right to criticise him for what he did.
[It seems to me that the film does not really acknowledge how traumatic the experience
must have been for Christine; it has much more sympathy for Cameron, and focuses
more on how he feels, even blaming her for how Cameron feels. His 'emasculation' is
more serious than her humiliation. She may have been mouthy but that did not invite or
excuse what Ryan did to her. Only in the scene when it appears that she would rather die
than have Ryan touch her again does the film acknowledge that she is the real victim, and
recognise the enormity of what was done to her.]
Characters
14. In what ways are the two married couples – Rick and Jean Cabot and Cameron and
Christine Thayer – similar? How many parallels between their situations can you
find? How are they different?
They are both wealthy, secure in their social position; neither woman seems to work
(unusual, surely – though it may be that we simply don't see what they do); they both
drive new Navigators. Both husbands try to pacify their wives and both are accused of
not caring.
The Cabots have a son; the Thayers seem to be childless; Jean has a housekeeper; we
learn nothing about Christine. Rick is in a position of real power, though susceptible to
the vagaries of the voter; Cameron is made aware of how precarious his position is, of
how little power he really has.
Ideas and Issues
15. In these scenes, many of the characters and situations introduced in the first few
scenes behave in ways that force us to re-evaluate them. Give examples of this.
Christine and Cameron – so loving and happy in the truck – turn on each other.
Daniel – shaved head, tattooed – is sweet and loving and tender with his daughter.
Ria – who made the racist comments about Kim Lee's English – is sensitive about being
mislabelled and stereotyped herself.
Graham – professional and pleasant to begin with – uses a racist stereotype; is cheeky to
his mother over the phone and then so sweet and gentle with her.
Ryan – 'racist prick' – is kind to and supportive of his father; hurts so much for him. And
then he is a hero.
16. In what ways does scene 18 sum up the central issues of the film?
Daniel and Farhad: two men, both immigrants, both fathers, both working men. Both are
condemned for what they are not – Daniel taken as a criminal, a gang member; Farhad as
an Arab and thus a potential terrorist. They should be on the same side but they are
separated by an inability to communicate. They can't get past the surface.
Film Techniques
17. What is the effect of the TRACKING shot that opens sc. 31?
Highlights the sad difference between the happy past and the tragic present – between
the family photos on the piano and the drug gear. Emphasises the link, the juxtaposition,
in a way a cut would not. Signposts Flanagan's later comment that Peter had the same
chances as Graham.
18. Comment on the camera work and editing of scene 37.
Wonderful WIDE EST. of the backyard of Farhad's shop, with sun and shadow; he is LS
on one side, brooding. He gets up, and the camera REVERSE TRACKS as he walks to
the trash bin; PULLS BACK slightly as he throws rubbish in. He walks through door, and
the camera CLOSES slowly on the bin, suggesting that here is the repository of their
hopes – and suddenly Farhad comes into the shot and begins searching a bag. Two
matched CUTS suggest his searching bag after bag – until he finds the screwed up piece
of paper. Camera stays on his hands and the paper as he smoothes it and points to
Daniel's name. //
Apart from the matched CUTS, it is filmed in one single shot.
Coming as it does straight after Cameron's brooding on set, it is doubly poignant: here are
two men whose lives are in tatters. Cameron is the more innocent of the two, yet it is
Farhad, much less likable, who seems to evoke more sympathy, perhaps because he has
so little that to lose what he has is a greater tragedy.
19. Look carefully at the TRANSITIONS between scenes. What do you notice about
them? Note examples of effective transitions.
They have been carefully planned to emphasise the connections between scenes and
between people.
scenes 14 to 15: Daniel's white van becomes the stolen Navigator
scene 20 to 21: Ria closes the door of Graham's bedroom // Ryan's bedroom
scene 28 to 29: Ryan opens the office door // messenger opens locksmith's door
See 'Scene by Scene Commentary' for many more
20. The Director and Director of Photography chose often to film with the light behind
the subject rather than behind the camera. Cite examples of this, and comment on
the effect achieved.
23: behind Karen rather than Rick as they walk;
28: light behind Shaniqua; and behind Ryan as he leaves
31: behind Graham at his mother's;
39: behind Karen, Flanagan, Graham [see detailed analysis]
All create the 'squint effect' the director talks about (see p.31) – all at morally ambivalent
moments
21. Identify effective use of sound effects.
The most effective is the dumping of Mr Choi's body and the squealing of tyres as they
leave [17]
Pop Ryan's misery in the toilet [21]
22. Contrast is an important technique used in this film. Cite examples from these
scenes.
the angry fight [13] and the sweet tenderness of Daniel with Lara [14]
the dumping of Mr Choi and the nativity scene [17];
courtesy [18]
Farhad's anger and Daniel's
Maria's friendliness and Jean's irritability [25]
the heroism of Ryan's rescue followed by the political chicanery of Flanagan [38, 39]

Discussion: Ryan's assault of Christine becomes an issue of her husband's masculinity.
How reasonable is this? Surely she is the one who was most transgressed against.
Task Sheet 3
Scenes 39 – 45 (DVD Ch 14 - 19)
This sequence is largely made up of a series of climaxes, as each of the main plot threads
reaches a crisis.
1.
Why does the DA's office need Graham's support for a prosecution of Conklin?
He is the officer in charge of the investigation; he is black
2.
Why does Graham agree to support it against his better judgment? [39] Why is
this ironic?
He sells his integrity to save his brother from a life sentence in prison for car theft; it is
tragically ironic because his brother will be shot in only a few hours. Doubly ironic, since
Conklin will go down for a shooting that was probably not his fault, and Hanson will get
away with a shooting that is his fault.
3.
Why does Hanson put himself on the line to save Cameron from himself? [41]
He just wants to do the right thing. The previous night, he was forced to watch and
support Ryan abusing his position; he wants to make up for it, especially since he no
doubt realises that this present situation is a result of the previous one. As with all his
decent gestures, he gets no thanks; Cameron is less than grateful.
4.
Explain what Cameron means when he says to Anthony, "You embarrass me. You
embarrass yourself."
Cameron is suggesting to Anthony that his behaviour is offensive to other blacks trying to
live decent lives. He recognises in Anthony someone who has the ability to do better with
himself than he is choosing to. He, Cameron, has pulled himself up; and the behaviour of
people like Anthony demeans all blacks.
5.
Jean tells her 'friend' that she is angry all the time. Can other characters be
described this way? [44]
Farhad; Anthony; even Ryan
6.
Why does Hanson get 'all bent out of shape' with Peter? How does this scene sum
up the central issues of the film? [45]
Hanson thinks Peter is mocking him, laughing at him. Hanson's experience doesn't
include blacks who aspire to be skaters, and who like country music. He looks at Peter's
muddy sneakers and his torn jacket (done when he climbed the fence to escape the
police) and assumes he is criminal – which he is – and dangerous, which he isn't. Note
that although Anthony and Peter wave guns in people's faces, they never actually pull a
trigger; they only threaten.
The scene reveals stereotyping, racist assumptions, lack of communication, and general
fear of people who are different.
7.
Many of the characters and situations previously introduced behave in ways that
force us to re-evaluate them. Give examples of this from these scenes.
Graham has so far seemed to be a man of integrity; he has not bothered to search for his
brother in spite of his mother's repeated requests. Here he exchanges his integrity to
save his brother.
Cameron has so far seemed to be a man of peace, a man whose life is governed by
reason. Here he shows that – pushed too far – even the most reasonable of men is
capable of irrational behaviour.
Anthony insists he does not steal from other blacks; here, he learns that he will steal from
anyone who has what he wants.
The privileged world Jean lives in is shown to be empty and friendless.
Hanson, who has only ever tried to do the right thing, finds himself in the worst possible
situation – he kills an innocent man in a moment of panic. Good cop/bad cop
assumptions are suddenly reversed.
Scenes 46 - 60 (DVD Ch 20 - 22)
Following the series of plot climaxes is a series of short scenes that tie up the loose ends –
dénouements.
8.
It is ironic and funny to see Anthony on the bus, but what is the symbolic
importance of it? [47]
Anthony has pretended to himself that he is fighting a race war by stealing from whites;
the episode with Cameron has forced him to face himself and realise he is just a thief.
Cameron's almost heroic confrontation with the police, which saved Anthony from arrest,
obviously impressed him. The bus suggests that Anthony is re-evaluating himself; that he
will try to change the direction of his life.
9.
What is the cheque that Choi wants Kim Lee to cash? What is ironic about this
scene? [48]
The one Park gave him to purchase the Cambodians.
She is tender and loving with him in a way not seen between any other of the couples in
the film – and he is a trafficker in human beings, an evil trade.
10. Look carefully at scene 52, which cuts between Jean at home and Rick at City Hall.
What does the mise en scène tell us about the relationship between Rick and Jean,
between Rick and his assistant Karen?
Rick seems to be concerned for Jean, but the perfunctory nature of his response 'I love
you too' and the way he looked sideways at Karen suggest he is going through the
motions. The light increases on his face just as it does on Graham when he lies to Cabot
re Conklin, when he says what someone wants him to say. The length of the looks
between Rick and Karen, the lack of a need to say anything to each other, implies that
they are having an affair (signposted in scene 3 when Rick suggests Jean is jealous of
Karen). But then Rick walks past her into the elevator; Karen stands there until the doors
shut in her face and the light goes cf. the way the lights go out when Fred asserts his
power over Cameron. [27] If they are having an affair, it is going nowhere.
11. In scenes 55 and 56, Daniel and Rick stand inside their homes looking out. In what
ways are they different?
Rick is shown from inside, locking the door first; then his POV of his reflection in the
darkness. CUT to reverse – he seems trapped behind the glass, but we have already
seen that all he sees is himself.
Daniel is shown from behind also – the camera closes slowly on the bed where Lara and
Elizabeth are asleep. CUT to Daniel from outside – he is watching the world, protecting
his precious family behind him.
12. What is the significance of sc. 57?
Cameron's anger seems to dissipate as he watches the kids throwing rubbish onto the
fire. The fire cleanses his soul as it cleanses Hanson's car of evidence, and as fire
cleansed Christine of her hatred of Ryan.
13. Similarities and differences between the Cabots and the Thayers are reinforced by
scenes 52 and 57. In what ways?
Both women phone their husbands; Rick answers immediately whereas Cameron
hesitates a little. Both women are in bed, having suffered accidents. Both men say they
love their wives – Cameron volunteers it; Rick responds to Jean.
14. Why does Anthony let the Cambodians go? [59]
He could make money by selling them but a man descended from slaves is unlikely to
want to go down that road. His encounter with Cameron has woken some sense of
decency in him.
15. Writer-director Haggis commented that "Anthony has learned everything and
nothing". Explain what he means.
He has learned enough to do the right thing – to not just release the Cambodians but
even to give them some money for food; they have been chained in the abandoned van
for more than 24 hours. But he still reacts with stereotypes: "Dopey Chinaman", even
though he knows they are not Chinese. Racism to him is something whites do to blacks.
16. What is interesting about scenes 53 – 60, considered together?
There is virtually no dialogue, in more than seven minutes of screen time.
There is none in scenes 53 – 56 and 58; 57 has five words, all on the phone: Hi. / Hi. / I
love you.
Sc. 59 has one longish speech: "All right. Everybody out, man. You're free to go. All
right, come on. Come on now! This is America. Time is money. Chop, chop! Come on,
y'all. Come on. That's $40. Buy everybody chop suey. You understand? Dopey fucking
Chinaman."
Sc. 60 has three sentences: "Aah! Oh, my God! What the hell is wrong with you? Uh-uh!
Don't talk to me unless you speak American!"
17. Peter and Anthony are friends and criminals who provide the catalyst for the
characters to start colliding. What other function does each have in the film?
Anthony is the voice of black consciousness – much of what he says is true – but he is an
extremist who sees racism everywhere. He is also a hypocrite – he says he never steals
from other blacks'; he espouses the cause of 'brotherhood'; he objects to the language
used by hip-hop artists. Yet when he is confronted by Cameron, he fights, calls him
nigger and threatens to shoot him.
Haggis is showing that racism is not all one way. Much of Anthony's truth is undercut
because he cannot see in himself the very traits he complains of in others.
Peter is the more reasonable of the two – he sees through Anthony's hypocrisy and pricks
the bubble of his pretensions. He is a very balanced young man – apart from being a
criminal.
And they are both very funny – they add most of the comedic dimension to the film – as
well as the real tragedy of Peter's death.

If you have not already done so, return to the list you made earlier, 'After the First
Viewing' and add to it, based on what you have learned since.
Plot Summaries
The order here is roughly the order in which the main characters are first introduced in the
film. Numbers in square brackets indicate links to other plot threads.
1.
Detective Graham Waters and his partner Ria are called to a shooting: a narcotics
detective Conklin has shot and killed another officer, a black detective Lewis. Internal
Affairs investigates; $300,000 is found hidden in the spare tyre of the car Lewis was
driving. Waters is asked by the DA's office to support their making an example of Conklin
for the incident, from which they will gain political advantage. Graham resists a job offer
but agrees to their request to save his brother Peter from a mandatory life sentence in
prison. [3] Later, Graham arrives at a crime scene to find that his brother has been shot.
[10]
2.
Farhad, an Iranian shop owner, buys a gun after his wife was threatened. He does not
realise that his daughter Dorri has taken blanks instead of bullets. Daniel is sent to fix the
lock on the shop door, but advises that the door needs replacing. Farhad thinks he is
being ripped off. When the shop is vandalised, the insurance company decides it is
negligence. Farhad blames Daniel and demands recompense; Lara sees her father
facing a gun without his 'protective cloak' [6] and runs out to save him. The gun goes off
but Lara is fine.
3.
Peter and Anthony car-jack the Navigator of D.A. Rick Cabot and his wife Jean. They
knock over Korean Choi [7] and dump him at A&E; because of blood on the vehicle,
Lucien rejects it. They try to steal another Navigator but Cameron resists [11]; Peter runs
away [ 10], but Anthony is in the vehicle when the police stop it. Officer Hanson [10]
persuades the other officers to let Cameron go. Anthony finds Choi's abandoned white
van and it is found to be full of illegal Asian immigrants. Anthony releases them. [7]
4.
D.A. Rick Cabot looks for a way of spinning the car-jacking and decides that hanging
Conklin out to dry would be the best way. [1]
5.
Jean Cabot feels threatened by Daniel, a Mexican, who changes their locks [6]; she falls
down the stairs and discovers none of her 'friends' actually care about her, whereas her
Mexican maid is kind.
6.
Locksmith Daniel Ruiz is a loving father who has recently moved house because a bullet
came through the window of his five-year-old daughter Lara's bedroom. He calms her
fears with a fairy cloak that will protect her. [ 2]
7.
Choi is paid for his van-load of Asian (Cambodian?) immigrants but is knocked over
before he can deliver them and is dumped at the hospital. His wife Kim Lee, who had
previously rear-ended Ria's car [1], finds him; he tells her to cash the cheque. Anthony
[3] takes the abandoned van and releases the Cambodians.
8.
Officer John Ryan cares for his father who is suffering from a urinary disorder; Ryan can
get no help from his medical insurance company.
9.
Angry, Ryan takes off after a black Navigator even though his partner Tommy Hanson
tells him it is not the stolen vehicle. Seeing what he thinks is a white woman with a black
man, he stops and harasses the Thayers, sexually assaulting Christine. Later, he
rescues her from certain death in a car crash.
10.
Officer Hanson is appalled by Ryan's racism and harassment [9] and asks for a different
partner; he is assigned to his own car. He rescues Cameron, who is defying police out of
anger and frustration. [11] Later, he picks up Peter [3], who is hitch-hiking. Hanson
mistakes Peter's St Christopher for a gun and shoots him; he dumps the body and burns
his car. Graham [1] arrives at the crime scene where Peter's body lies and recognises his
brother. He takes his mother to see the body. She blames Graham.
11.
Humiliated by Ryan and by his wife's anger, Cameron goes to work and is further
angered by another racist put down. When Anthony and Peter [3] try to steal his
Navigator, he responds with fury and fights them. He takes off in the vehicle with Anthony
in the passenger seat; stopped by police, he defies them. Hanson [10], to make amends
for Ryan the previous night [9], defuses the situation. Cameron agrees to go home, and
eventually tells Christine he loves her.
Analysing the Plot
Crash presents the life of a city – in this case, Los Angeles - through a
number of linked stories in which numerous characters' paths crisscross.
People from radically different backgrounds are brought together by a grim
serendipity that forces them, or at least the audience, to acknowledge their
essential connectedness. This form – an as yet un-named genre – has its
origins in literature, such as Balzac's La Comédie Humaine and James
Joyce's Ulysses. It was popularised in the cinema during the 1990s by John
Sayles' City of Hope, Robert Altman's Short Cuts and Paul Thomas
Anderson's Magnolia. It is not that unusual for novels and films to have more
than one plot, though most films settle for a maximum of three as a
manageable number, as in Traffic and 21 Grams. Crash has many more than
three, particularly when early single plot strands split up.
1.
Identify the various plot threads, and briefly outline each one. You may use a
diagram if it is easier.
Begins with five main plot threads: the car-jacking; the shooting of the black police officer;
the illegal immigrants; Farhad's buying a gun; Ryan's dad; these split into about 10, even
12.
The car-jacking affects the Cabots, which links with Daniel; causes the harassment of
Cameron and Christine, which splits up Hanson and Ryan, leads to Christine's car crash
and Cameron's confrontation with the police; the separation of Anthony and Peter leads
to Peter's death and Anthony's redemption.
[See 'Plot Summary' and 'Appendix: Plot Diagram']
2.
Identify the characters that connect one plot thread to another.
Anthony and Peter are central: they link the Cabots, Graham, the Thayers indirectly and
then Cameron directly; Hanson; and the Asian smuggling ring.
Daniel is part of both the Cabot and the Farhad plotlines; Graham links Peter to Rick
Cabot via the Conklin shooting.
Dorri (working at the morgue) links the Waters and the Farhad plots.
When we talk about the plot of a book or film, we mean
a story that is tied together, in which everything that
happens is important: A causes B, which causes C and
so on. Remove any one incident, and the whole pattern
should be affected, the whole story will fall apart, the
way a stack of blocks will collapse if you pull out one
from the bottom. Stories told like this usually build to a
climax. This tightly plotted approach is sometimes
called the step-stair structure.
Episodic films, by contrast, are looser; individual
scenes can be added or removed without really
affecting the outcome of the plot.
3.
Which of these two plot types has been used for this film?
Seems episodic yet nearly every event is a stepping stone upon which the next one is
built.
4.
Does anything happen in the film that does not contribute to one or other of the
plots? That could be left out? Explain. If events do not contribute to one or other
of the plot threads, why are they there?
Some of the dialogue between Anthony and Peter is more for entertainment and
expression of ideas – though even here, it is the argument over music that causes
Anthony to knock Choi down.
Other scenes, such as those with Graham and his mother, between Graham and Ria, with
Jean Cabot are more to develop character and to illustrate thematic concerns.
5.
Select one of the plot threads and show how each incident leads onto the next.
see plot diagram
6.
What techniques apart from characters have been used to ensure the unity of the
film?

use of motifs.

events in one plot affect other plots

transitions that link scenes


one setting; same locations
parallels and echoes in the action and
camera work

echoes in dialogue
Stories are often described as 'plot-driven' or 'character-driven'.
If a film is plot-driven, it relies upon external events and circumstances to advance the plot. External
events may be natural or human-initiated, as long as the initiator of the events is not a central character
to the story. The characters are affected by and react to events but don't really change throughout the
story.
If a film is character-driven, it relies upon the decisions and emotions of characters to advance the plot,
decisions that may produce chain reactions and conflict. The events, regardless of how many people
they affect, are triggered by characters within the story. Characters will develop as they learn how to
overcome the obstacles that are faced.
7.
Which of these terms would better describe this film? Justify your answer.
'Character-driven'. The action is full of coincidences, designed to demonstrate the thesis
that all are connected in one way or another, but each is the result of someone's decision.
Some characters are seen to change – Farhad, Anthony, Jean, Hanson, Cameron etc –
while same remain seemingly unaffected – Cabot is the best example; most are affected
by the events.
Narrative or plot structure is the term used to describe the order in which a
story is told, and the way in which different strands of the story are linked.
The most common ways in which stories are told are
a. in chronological order, i.e. the order in which the events happen;
b. using flashbacks, i.e. earlier events are included later in the story
c. with a frame of later time, and the whole story a flashback (bookending)
d. with flash forwards, in which future events are included earlier than
they actually happen.
8.
Which of these descriptions best fits the structure of this film?
d. The film opens with the discovery of Peter's body (his identity not revealed) and then
jumps back to the previous evening and tells of the events leading up to his death, and
following it. Not c. – although we return to the opening scene, there is a whole act after it,
so the story is not 'book-ended'.
'Conflict'
The main element that drives any film story (or book) is conflict. Without it,
there isn't much of a story. Conflict is a problem or struggle in a story that
triggers action, i.e. that causes things to happen. It can be very obvious, like
people fighting, or much less obvious, as when someone worries over what is
the right thing to do. This second kind is called 'internal conflict'.
There are six basic types of conflict:

Person against person: one character has a problem with one or more of the other characters.

Person against society: a character has a problem with some aspect of society: the school, the
law, the accepted way of doing things, etc.

Person against self: a character has a problem deciding what to do in a particular situation, or is
torn between two (or more) courses of action, or between right and wrong.

Person against Nature: a character has a problem with some natural occurrence: a snowstorm,
an avalanche, the bitter cold, or any other element of nature.

Person against Fate: a character has to battle what seem to be forces beyond human control.
Whenever the problem seems to be a strange or unbelievable coincidence, fate can be considered
the cause of the conflict.

Person against machine: a character has to confront technology or other elements of human
creation (as opposed to natural or divine creation).

On your own or in a group, think about the six types of conflict listed above. Which
of them are included in this film? How many different examples of each can you
list?
The first three only. Although cars are significant, there is no sense that they are a
separate force.
Mostly person against person, though many of the examples of racism shown seem as
much societal and based on conditioning as on individual prejudice. Farhad, for example,
buys a gun to protect his family and himself against an unidentified threat, based on a
previous hold up.

Farhad: with the gun shop owner, with Dorri over the gun, with Daniel, whom he
thinks is cheating him.

Jean: with Rick, with Maria, plus an undifferentiated anger against the world

Ryan: with his father's medical insurance company, with city employment policies,
and with Shaniqua specifically. Takes this out on Cameron and Christine.

Cameron, Christine: with Ryan, then each other; Christine's desire to be rescued v.
her antipathy for Ryan

Cameron: with Anthony, and then with the police; even with Hanson who rescues him

Ria with Graham over his casual racism; Graham with D.A.'s office

Ria with Kim Lee: over the rear-ending

Anthony with Peter over perceptions or racism – largely light-hearted and comedic;
with a racist society

Daniel with a world that threatens his family; with its faulty perceptions of him
Against self:

Graham is faced with a moral dilemma – to 'frame' Conklin in return for a job (easily
rejected) and to save his brother from life imprisonment (agrees – ironically, since his
brother will soon be dead)

Hanson: first over Ryan's treatment of Cameron and Christine; over the Lieutenant's
terms; then what to do after he shoots Peter


Cameron: his wish to continue his successful life against his anger at the racist
treatment he has faced.

Anthony: to sell Asians or release them.

Some others should be internally conflicted, but there is no evidence that they are:
Cabot, Shaniqua etc
Are any of these conflicts resolved by the end of the film? Which ones, and how?

Peter is dead; Hanson will never be the same again.

Farhad's horror at what he did and his belief in a miracle seem to have overcome his
antagonism to the world.

Cameron seems to reach some sort of equilibrium;

Christine's forced re-evaluation of Ryan has defused her anger.

Jean has learned appreciation of Maria.

Mostly, however, people just move on from short term conflict which is not really
resolved. And will these rapprochements last?
Narrative Structure 2
Most commercial films – “classic Hollywood” type - are similar in structure to a
three-act play:

The first act introduces the main characters and situation, and in includes a scene that sets up a
complication around which the plot will revolve - the catalyst or inciting incident, that disrupts the
equilibrium of the original situation. Sometimes, the act will end with that scene; other times, the
catalyst will occur earlier.

The second act develops this complication.

The third act brings the situation to a climax and resolution.
i.e. – get the hero up a tree, throw things at him, and then get him down from the tree.
Each act is structured to end on a moment of heightened tension or interest – a ‘turning point’ or 'plot
point' that will change the direction of the story.
1. Does this film follow this pattern? Can you identify three acts? an inciting
incident? the plot points that end Act 1 and Act 2?
There are three acts - Act 1 = the set ups; Act 2 = developments and complications; Act 3
= resolutions - but with so many different plot lines, no one clear plot arc. Each of the
main stories has its own arc to a climax and its own small dénouement.
Although there are so many plots, there is one incident that can be identified as the
'inciting force. The car-jacking of the Cabots' Navigator is like a snooker cue ball
smashing into the group of red balls and setting off chain reactions as each ball hits
another and so on. Nearly every event, directly or indirectly, can be traced back to this; it
can even be argued that Daniel's treatment by Jean makes him less tolerant of Farhad
and so contributes to that nearly tragic chain of events.
The assault on Christine and Cameron is the plot point that ends Act 1 and spins the
action into Act 2; the shooting of Peter is the shocking end to Act 2. Act 3 begins with a
repeat of scene 1.
There will often be a central incident (coming about half way through the film), a mid-point
scene, which packs a dramatic punch and kicks the action to a higher level.
2. Can you identify the mid-point scene? How does it affect subsequent action?
Ryan's rescue of Christine from the car crash. [38] It does not directly affect following
action, though it forces us to re-evaluate all our assumptions about characters.
It is followed by a series of climactic scenes: Graham's deal with the DA's office [39];
attempt to steal Cameron's Navigator and his confrontation with police [41]; Farhad
shoots Lara [42]; Jean falls [44]; Hanson shoots Peter [45] = end of Act 2.
Time is always an important consideration in a screenplay; a feature film may cover days,
weeks, even years of real time, so ways of showing time passing are needed.
3. How much time is covered in this film? Can you work out a timeline?
36 hours. Begins in the evening, goes back and covers the previous 24 hours and then
continues through the night. Since it is about Christmas time, the days are short and it
gets dark quite early.
Some of the ways the passing of time may be indicated include:

fades or dissolves

dates or times on screen – no

changing light – day to night

showing a clock or a calendar – some clocks

references in dialogue - occasionally

seasonal differences, winter to summer – no

a montage of brief symbolic or typical images – no (unusual in not using montage)

cuts to the same scene at a clearly later time, e.g. from full plates to empty, or the same people
with different clothes or hairstyles, or in different places. – frequent examples
4. What techniques are used in this film to show time passing?
Change of light – night, dawn, night again - is the most obvious; city lights, vehicle lights
etc.
Dialogue references: "lunchtime"; press conference at 4.00 p.m.; "Just after 9.00 p.m. last
night…"
Clocks: Graham's says 11.10; a little later Cameron's says 11.31.
Graham visits his mother and returns later with groceries; he returns to crime scene after
Peter's body has been removed.
Even stories that are told in a simple chronological structure will need to lay the foundations
for future events, as well as keep the audience involved and expectant by hinting at the
future.
5. Identify examples where future events are 'signposted'
Farhad doesn’t read English; where is Graham's brother? "I think you're jealous of
Karen." Key in van door.
Many other examples - see 'Scene-by-scene' for more.
Some (not all) details will be like ‘loaded pistols’ – there to be important later. In other words,
if you see a loaded pistol in an earlier scene, it is a good indicator that someone will use it
later (or it should not be there).
6. Can you identify any ‘loaded pistols’ from early scenes in this film?
The most obvious example is Farhad's loaded pistol. Lara's fairy cloak.
A film needs to keep its audience involved but also alert, off balance – a comfortable
audience may fall asleep - by changes of mood - from suspense to humour and back to
suspense again, for example.
7. Identify examples of mood change like this.
There are frequent shifts in tone, from tragedy to comedy to heartbreak to relief to
poignancy.
The banter [3] suddenly becoming an armed hold-up. Graham's cheerfulness / Ria's
anger [20]; the ugliness of the argument [13] followed by the sweetness of Daniel and
daughter [14]
Most stories involve the element of suspense, with the audience kept wondering what will
happen.
8. How has suspense been created in this film?
Mostly by setting up situations and making us wait for the next episode. Offering s series
of situations not explained until later: Whose body it is that has been found? What is the
significance of the white van? Will Graham find his brother? Will Farhad use his gun?
Will Ryan rescue Christine? Will Cameron go home?
With so many plot different strands, ways of keeping the film unified are particularly important,
especially since one of the main ideas in the film is the 'connectedness' between characters.
Motifs are often used as a unifying device, to link one scene with another, or one character
with another. A motif is an image, a word or phrase that is repeated several times in a film.
Something repeated once only is better described as an 'echo'.
9. There are many motifs in this film; how many can you identify?

St Christopher statuette

Christmas decorations

reflections, esp. in rear view mirrors

stop signs

telephones

keys, locks

chain-link fences = idea of cages

crosses feature in the background of several scenes (director says it is deliberate)

doors, windows – often as 'prisons' within which people are trapped, or protect
themselves
The white van and black Navigators are more important than just as motifs, as are
telephones, which have significance as communication devices – or lack of
communication (Ryan/Shaniqua; Cameron/Christine; Jean/Rick, etc)
A worksheet for motifs is included in the SG; see 'Scene by Scene Commentary' for
specific examples.
Another method film-makers can use to create unity is by repeating or echoing the same
images or camera angles and shots (visual) and sometimes the same ideas or words
(verbal). Look especially at the transitions from one scene to the next.
10. There are several visual – and verbal - links in the film. List specific examples.
"Look at me." (Ryan, Cameron)
People in bed: Christine; Jean; Lara; Ryan
H/A shots
flying ash / snow falling
two cars on fire
two shootings: one fatal, one not (+ Lewis
but after the event)
Filming through windows of cars and buildings; through doors – Ryan and his father,
Graham and his mother
Transitions: door to door is frequently used; one vehicle becomes another;
groceries/groceries; bed/bed
"Stay in your car." = to prevent confrontations i.e. connections with others
Parallels and contrasts are unifying; they are also important for the expression and
explication of themes.
11. Identify examples.
See next page
Some (though not all) film-makers like to end their film with explicit or implicit links to the
opening scenes. This may be done through parallel or repeated actions, through bookending or other means.
12. Identify ways in which the last few scenes link back to the early scenes of the film.

starts and ends at night, with aerial views of the city

Graham and Ria are rear-ended || Shaniqua is rear-ended

Ria mocks Kim Lee's English: "I blake too fast?" || Shaniqua: "Don't talk to me unless
you speak American!"

Graham returns to the crime scene where Peter's body was found

Kim Lee || Anthony releases the Asians, refers to "Dopey Chinaman."

talk of snow || it is snowing
Parallels and Contrasts
Motifs and Objects

two white vans

two black Navigators – both end up in flames [Lucien: 'Georgie, burn this thing.']

Hanson & Peter both have St Christopher medals
Characters


father/son, Ryan and Pop Ryan || mother /son, Graham Waters and Mrs Waters

both police officers (NB Peter is never seen with his mother)

both sons care for and deeply love their parent
father and daughter: Farhad and Dorri; Daniel and Lara


both daughters try to protect their fathers - successfully
two partnerships: Anthony & Peter || Ryan and Hanson

both split up; ends in disaster for one of each – Peter and Hanson

leads to 'heroism' for the other – Ryan saves Christine; Anthony releases the Asians

Ryan, Anthony – both mouthy, cynical racists, both save people of a different race;

Hanson, Peter – both idealistic, hopeful

both Jean and Farhad distrust Daniel

Christine's life is saved by Ryan; she is grateful || Cameron's life is saved by Hanson; he
is not
Situations

two wealthy couples – both shocked out of their sense of security in who they are, by
people with guns

two affairs: Graham/Ria; Rick/Karen – neither has a future; both men shut out the women;
both leave them standing as they walk away

two Navigators stolen/attempted to be stolen – and Anthony gets paid for neither

two blacks shot – one a cop (Lewis); both shot by white cops (Conklin, Hanson)

two fathers 'saved' by their daughters

Lara uses her 'impenetrable' fairy cloak

Dorri saves her father by choosing blanks for the gun he buys; he refers to 'my angel'

Christine would rather die than have Ryan touch her || Cameron would rather die than lie
down on the road.

two shootings – Peter, Lara, one fatal, one not

Cameron faces police twice – once he apologises; the second time defies them; in both
he is an innocent party

Choi and Christine both pulled from crashes
Scenes

Maria has gone for groceries || Graham takes groceries for his mother

Anthony's car won't go || Maria's car won't go

Christine phones Cameron from her bed after accident || Jean phones Rick from her bed
after accident

both have suffered accidents

both are told 'I love you' – though only one is sincere

Ryan hugs his dad || Jean hugs Maria || Graham holds his mother

Ryan helps Pop from toilet [21] || Graham helps his mother inside [31]; both framed by
doors [31, 54]

two burning cars – Christine's crash; Hanson's arson

two rear-endings – one to start film, one to end it

two dead bodies, both shot by cops, both black

Rick, Daniel look out from their homes
Design and Setting
The setting for a film is more than just the place where the events of the plot happen.
More than when we read a novel, we are affected by the visual environment we are
shown, which indicates instantly whether the setting is realistic, expressionistic or
fantastic, symbolic or literal.
Designing a Film
The Production Designer and the Art Director work very closely with the director to
create a convincing world on screen. Even if the story is set in a real place, and in the
present, decisions must be made about what sorts of clothes, houses, furniture, vehicles and
other props are to be used. One of the important decisions made is about the time setting of
a film. Even if the story is contemporary, the director may wish to avoid extremes of fashion
so that the film will still look contemporary 20 or 30 years in the future.
The Set Decorator (or dresser) is responsible for providing the detail of a set, whether it
has been built specifically for the film or rented: the pictures on the wall, the books or
ornaments on a shelf, the wallpaper and style of curtains. Clothes and the décor of rooms
can be a quick and useful way of giving information about characters, about their style of life
and their personalities, just as the objects that you value - your favourite clothes, treasures,
photos, souvenirs - tell an outsider something about you. Objects can be as important as
people in a film, and can develop an overwhelming sense of presence. The way they are lit
and photographed can contribute to this.
The job of an art director varies from country to country and from project to project, but
basically, the art director interprets the director's ideas for the look of each shot. This involves
negotiation with producer (who is in control of the finance) and the director.
Directors will often create storyboards which go to the production designer, who uses
models, sketches, magazine pictures etc to help the off-set art director create the effect that is
wanted. The off-set director works at a design table, drawing the designs that then go to
carpenters who build the set. The on-set art director, after the director and cinematographer
have decided on the framing of each shot, 'tweaks' it to make sure that it looks as good as
possible, that the desired effect is achieved.
Smaller productions may have only a production designer or an art director; larger
productions, particularly American ones, will have both. In America, the art director is really
only the set designer, creating technical drawings to interpret the director's ideas, with the
production designer having overall control. A big budget film will have a large Art team.
Mission Impossible II, for example, had a Supervising Art Director and three Art Directors,
each of whom had an Assistant Art Director. There were more than 50 people in the art
department, and up to 200 carpenters to build what was designed. Spider-Man had a
Production Designer, four Art Directors, two Set Decorators and an Art Department of 42.
Crash had an Art Department of nine. It was filmed entirely on location in L.A., as
cheaply as possible, making use of existing places. The police station was set in Red Cross
rooms; the hospital entrance was a school. The house the Cabots live in is director Paul
Haggis's own home. The two bedrooms of Cameron and Christine and Ryan are the same
space with a false wall in place.
You will have answered some questions already about setting in Task Sheet 1. Build up good
setting notes with the help of these questions also.
Answer these questions about the film as a whole.
1. Which of the styles listed in the first paragraph – realistic, expressionistic or fantastic,
symbolic or literal – apply to this film?
Realistic yet also symbolic, in that the film is a parable of city life rather than a slice
of life.
2. Where is the film set? How important is the physical setting to what happens?
In Los Angeles, in various identifiable parts of the city, notably Ventura Boulevard, which
is mentioned by name, as are Westwood and Studio City.
The place is important – the film is as much a study of the city as it is of the people in it;
the city is a character, in a way. This is established in the opening lines, when Graham
suggests L.A. is different from other cities, in its lack of connection between its
inhabitants.
[Having visited L.A. and been repelled by the lack of intimacy, the lack of any sense of
community (in strong contrast to San Francisco, even New York), by the dominance of
the automobile – and on a more recent trip by the huge gulf between the rich and poor
areas – I think there is some truth to this. Yet we met many friendly and pleasant people
too, so maybe it is not the city per se so much as a condition of modern urban society.]
3. When is the film set? Cite evidence.
Close to Christmas – possibly even Christmas Eve.
Contemporary – clothes, vehicles, mobile phones;
Clearly post-9/11 America, given the negativity expressed towards Arabs (and anyone
who looks like an Arab)
Yo, Osama. Plan the jihad on your own time.
4. The social setting is not just the background of the characters; it is also the way
they interact with one another. What does the film suggest about this?
The film suggests hostility is often a barrier to intimacy, and hatred and fear cloud
judgment; the benign notion of America as a melting pot is replaced by the image of a
seething cauldron of racial prejudice.
5. What impression do you get of the city from this film? Did any setting within the
city make a particular impression on you?
Answers will vary – I expect most will be impressed by City Hall.
The almost mythical nature of the city – as befits a parable – is underlined by a snowfall
on Christmas Eve suggests some kind of benediction or token of grace; it is comically
undercut (though not undermined) by yet another car crash involving ethnic figures, seen
in a high angle shot as if from the viewpoint of a puzzled God.
When designers and set decorators decide what a room will look like, they are actually
creating a backstory for the characters that live there.
6. Which characters are shown at home? What is suggested for each by the glimpses
of their homes?
Jean and Rick Cabot: large house, beautifully kept; wood panelling; art work on walls –
everything suggests money; housekeeper to keep it clean. Many
framed photographs. Expensive kitchen – with child's paintings cf.
Daniel's
Daniel and Elizabeth: small, modest home in suburbs; welcoming inside – Christmas tree
with home-made decorations; Lara's room has drawings and posters
on walls.
Cameron, Christine – bedroom only: beautifully colour-co-ordinated with deep red and
cream – superb taste; modern lamp; African art on walls – they
have both the money to indulge and clearly the interest
Ryan – bedroom, bathroom: plain, simple, bare – a very masculine environment; no
women, not much money, which probably feeds his anger
Graham – his bedroom: mostly white; wooden furniture, armchair; books on shelf; fairly
plain décor, no frills; no real sense of his personality from it – he just
sleeps there
Mrs Waters' place – where Graham grew up: piano, family photos suggest better times in
the past; state of her fridge + drug gear suggests she does not take
care of herself.
the exterior of Anthony's place: poorer part of the city – rickety wooden gate etc. He isn't
getting rich stealing cars. Lots of trees and other greenery. Old
furniture and other rubbish on the street. Contrast with the steel and
glass of the centre of the city (referred to by Graham in his opening
speech).
Be sure that your answers include enough specific details so that you can write a good
answer on setting.
Characters
All the main characters are sharply characterised very quickly; a surprising amount revealed
in a few scenes, through skilful writing and great acting. However, the number of characters
means there isn't time for much real depth and development.

Most of the main characters lose control of their lives at some point.
Identify that moment, and explain how, if at all, they regain it.
Graham Waters / Don Cheadle (in a wonderful, supple, understated performance)

world-weary black detective; the heart of the film, and the closest it has to a protagonist –
he begins the film and helps to close it; is good at his job – he is in line for a major
promotion

unmarried; has a sexual though not intimate relationship with his partner Ria

loves and cares for his drug-addict mother; has a criminal brother Peter whom she
adores = too much to bear but he bears it

keeps people at a distance, even Ria; when his mother hurts him badly, he closes in on
himself

takes exception to Flanagan's racist stereotypes yet uses them himself

loses control when he compromises his integrity to save his brother; is unlikely to ever be
his own man again.
RIA: Why do you keep everybody at a certain distance, huh? What, you start
to feel something and panic? ... I mean, really, what kind of man speaks to
his mother that way?
GRAHAM: Okay. I was raised badly. Why don't you take your clothes off,
get back into bed and teach me a lesson? … Then I guess the big mystery is
who gathered all those remarkably different cultures together and taught them
all how to park their cars on their lawns?
MOTHER: Oh, I already know. You did. I asked you to find your brother, but
you were busy. We weren't much good to you anymore, were we? You got
things to do.
Ria / Jennifer Esposito

Hispanic detective, Graham's partner; objects to Graham's calling her Mexican yet mocks
Kim Lee's English

comes closer to understanding Graham when she sees him with his mother at the
morgue
RIA: See, I stop when I see a long line of cars stopped in front of me. Maybe
you see over steering wheel, you "blake" too! … Officer, can you please
write in your report how shocked I am to be hit by an Asian driver!
RIA: You want a lesson? I'll give you a lesson. How 'bout a geography
lesson? My father's from Puerto Rico. My mother's from El Salvador.
Neither one of those is Mexico.
Anthony / Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges

young, black, politicised, articulate; one of the 'angry' characters; provides much of the
humour in the film

almost a protagonist – begins the action with the car-jacking and almost closes the action

expresses many valid observations of racism, yet treats Asians in the same way

violent, aggressive – though does not ever fire the gun

comes further than most other characters – though not as far as he might

loses control when Cameron fights back and wins; regains self-respect when he frees the
Cambodians.
ANTHONY: And black women don't think in stereotypes? You tell me. When
was the last time you met one who didn't think she knew everything about
your lazy ass before you even opened your mouth, huh?
PETER: How in the lunacy of your mind is hip-hop the music of the
oppressor?
ANTHONY: You have no idea why they put them great big windows on the
sides of buses, do you? … One reason only. To humiliate the people of
colour who are reduced to riding on them.
Yeah, you laugh, man. But you have never seen me steal from a black
person ever in your life.
All scary-ass places for a brother to find himself. Drop Mo Phat at a
Starbucks in Toluca Lake, that nigger will run like a rabbit soon as somebody
say "decaf latte." [Best line?]
Peter Waters / Larenz Tate

young, black, also articulate but more balanced in his outlook than Anthony; pricks the
bubble of Anthony's rants on many occasions; cool, clear-headed, observer of humannature

good-humoured, laughs a lot – very likeable; observer of the world – finds the world and
the people in it a source of interest and amusement; Hanson thinks he is laughing at him
– leads to his death

loses control a little when he runs from the police, but really only when he is shot by
Hanson
PETER: Love the ice-skating. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a
goalie.
Rick Cabot / Brendan Fraser

DA, a politician through and through – everything seen from a political perspective;
haughty, image-obsessed

no sincerity, no genuine feelings ever expressed; patronises his wife

uses Flanagan to sort out problems; probably is having an affair with his assistant Karen

loses control when he is car-jacked; quickly spins his political machine into action to
manage it; is back in charge when able to use the Conklin killing to deflect attention from
himself.
RICK: I'm the goddamn District Attorney of Los Angeles. If my car gets
jacked, it's gonna make news. … All right. If we can't duck this thing, we're
gonna have to neutralise it. What we need is a picture of me pinning a medal
on a black man.
FLANAGAN: If he did his own dirty work, none of us would have jobs.
Jean Cabot / Sandra Bullock

bitter, aggressive, outspoken, angry; shaken up by the threat to her security

takes out her feelings on her housekeeper – who is the only person who is kind to her

leaps to wrong assumptions based on appearance (Daniel) though has some justification
for doing so

is shocked out of control by the car-jacking; and again by her fall, which makes her
reassess her life
JEAN: And it was my fault because I knew it was gonna happen. But if a
white person sees two black men walking towards her, and she turns and
walks in the other direction, she's a racist, right? Well, I got scared and I
didn't say anything. And ten seconds later I had a gun in my face! … You
know, didn't I just ask you not to treat me like a child?
JEAN: And I realised... I realised that it had nothing to do with my car being
stolen. I wake up like this every morning! I am angry all the time, and I don't
know why.
Cameron Thayer / Terrence Howard

television director, upper middle class, wealthy, comfortable in his success; 'coming
home from an awards show' – suggest professional status

has never really experienced the reality of being black and poor – but is reminded of his
vulnerable position by the TV show's producer. [Is this because he is black or just a
show of power regardless of race?]

is humiliated by the treatment meted out to him – but seems to lack any appreciation of
how his wife must feel after that way she was treated, which was much more invasive
and offensive; self-centred?

his slipping into 'black' dialect and his ability to fight suggests he has pulled himself up
from more humble origins

loses control when Ryan stops them and roughs him up; regains it by the fire when he
gets things back in perspective
CAMERON: Sooner or later you gotta find out what it is really like to be black.
CHRISTINE: The closest you ever came to being black, Cameron, was
watching The Cosby Show.
FRED: I mean, 'cause all I'm saying is it's not his character. Eddie's
supposed to be the smart one, not Jamal, right? You're the expert here.
But to me, it rings false.
CAMERON: I'm not sitting on no curb, I'm not putting my hands on my head
for nobody.
HANSON: Then stand where you are and keep your hands in sight. Can you
do that, huh?
CAMERON: Yeah, I can do that.
CAMERON: [to Anthony] Look at me. You embarrass me. You embarrass
yourself.
Christine Thayer / Thandie Newton

stylish, beautiful, assertive, gets angry at the way they are treated and speaks out

wants and needs comfort and support and gets none so lashes out at Cameron because
can't at Ryan

loses control when assaulted by Ryan; regains it only when her husband reassures her
that he loves her
CHRISTINE: I can't believe you let him do that, baby. Look, I know what you
did was the right thing. Okay? But I was humiliated! For you. I just couldn't
stand to see that man take away your dignity.
# The Cabots and the Thayers are both wealthy, comfortable, successful couples, shaken out
of their comfort zones by people with guns – from opposite ends of the law-and-order
spectrum. Cameron and Christine, initially more fragile, seem able to get past it in the end;
the Cabots' relationship seems less shaky but less warm; is held up by political necessity and
presumably the child.
The Korean couple, with much less screen time, seem more devoted; Daniel and Elizabeth
seem to have a good marriage but little is seen of them together.
John Ryan / Matt Dillon

white cop (Irish-American by the name – a bit of a stereotype here)

bitter, angry, abusive, racist, – yet seems to get on well with Gomez, an Hispanic

ugly in his misuse of his position; imprisoned in his own bitterness

kind, tender, caring with his father; really suffers for his father; is powerless to help him

heroic in his rescue of Christine – he risks his life to pull her out
RYAN: [to Shaniqua]: All right. You know what I can't do? I can't look at you
without thinking about the five or six more qualified white men who didn't get
your job.
DIXON: I understand. Your partner's a racist prick.
RYAN: Look at me, look at me. Wait till you've been doin' it a little longer.
You think you know who you are, hmm? You have no idea. Yo, Gomez, you
ready to roll, homey?
Tommy Hanson / Ryan Phillippe

rookie cop, decent guy, tries to do the right thing; linked to Peter by the St Christopher

appalled by Ryan's treatment of the Thayers but helpless; has to support his partner, the
senior of the two

wants to report it, wants to help Cameron – both times he is knocked back

completely misreads Peter and becomes frightened and shoots him; unable to face the
consequences so dumps the body and burns his car

loses some measure of control when he is forced to support Ryan's behaviour; never
really regains it and when he shoots Peter, we know he will never regain it.
HANSON: [to Cameron] I'm trying to help you.
Daniel Ruiz / Michael Peña

Mexican locksmith; called out late to change locks; always polite

tattoos suggest a rough past but has settled down with Elizabeth and is trying to make a
good life; unlike every other main character, he does not show a 'bad' side but is an
island of quiet decency in a sea of prejudice

adores his daughter; is tender, gentle and sweet with her as he calms her fears; protects
her against the world – ironically setting her up to put herself into real danger
loses some control when he screws up the job-sheet at Farhad's shop and so sets in
train the near-tragic events

DANIEL: [to Farhad]: I'd appreciate if you'd stop calling me names.
Farhad Golzari / Shaun Toub




Iranian /Persian; speaks some English – needs his daughter to translate complicated
things - but does not read it; is taken for Arab
has been in America for many years – Dorri has no accent, so presumably was born in
US
disagreeable and bad-tempered, as much the victim of his own temperament as he is of
anti-Middle Eastern anger.
buys a gun to protect his family, and ends up attacking Daniel's family with it.

loses control when his shop is vandalised, though has seemed to be at the mercy of the
world already; regains it when he faces the miracle of Lara's lack of injury – he is
shocked into counting his blessings
FARHAD: Yes, I speak English! I am American citizen.
FARHAD: Dorri, that man could've killed your mother. You think I should let
crazy people do what they want to us?
DORRI: He doesn't read English.
SHEREEN: Look what they wrote. They think we're Arab. When did Persian
become Arab?
FARHAD: My angel. My angel! She came to protect me. To protect us!
You understand?
Dorri Golzari / Bahar Soomekh

strong, beautiful, calm, in control

her father thinks he is protecting his family but she protects him from himself
DORRI: You can give me the gun or give me back the money. And I am
really hoping for the money.
Minor Characters
Like most films, this one needs many minor characters to help tell its story.
 Discuss: how does one differentiate between major and minor characters?
On your own or in groups:
 List the most significant minor characters. For each, explain their function in the
film. Which ones make the most important contribution?

Choi and Kim Lee – not seen enough to count as major characters, though he carries a
sub-plot. Their marriage provides a counterpoint to the other two prominent
ones. There is genuine love and tenderness shown – yet he is a trafficker in
human beings.

Lieutenant Dixon – black police officer, Hanson's (and Ryan's) boss; knocks back
Hanson when he wishes to make a formal complaint against Ryan; represents the
need to compromise, even with racists, to get ahead in one's job

Fred (Tony Danza) – a power player cf. Rick; asserts his muscle over Cameron, puts him
in his place.

Graham's mother – one of the victims of life; Graham's hostage to fortune. Important to
provide the motivation for his decision to give the DA's office what it wants.

Flanagan – the fixer-upper for Cabot, part of the political machine that decides so much
of what happens. Dynamic performance from William Fichtner in a cameo.

Karen - seems capable and confident, but she is left standing in the dark when Rick goes
home to his wife and son.

Lara – Daniel's hostage to fortune; her impetuous behaviour defuses Farhad's anger.
She thinks she is protecting her father. Elizabeth seen only briefly; suggests a
happy marriage and happy home.

Lucien – makes Anthony look better by comparison – he is a real low criminal, with no
scruples

Maria – to show kindness from a despised servant; demonstrate how barren a seemingly
privileged life can be

Pop Ryan – to show another side to Ryan, a caring, hurting side

Shaniqua – takes rightful exception to Ryan's racism yet misuses her own power and
position
All make significant contributions – leave any out, and the story is diminished.
NB Known actors who appear for one scene = cameo: William Fichtner, Tony Danza
Themes: an approach
Step 1:
Class discussion to clarify just what is meant by 'theme'. Encourage them to think outside the
concept of 'the moral of the story', and see themes as ideas, issues, concepts that are
explored in literature and film.
Step 2:
Divide the class into groups of four or five. Each group should reach consensus on the three
most important ideas explored in the film. (Consensus requires discussion and persuasion
rather than allowing some ideas to be simply ignored or rejected.) NB 'Racism' is not enough
– must be more specific.
Step 3: Each group should produce a chart/poster with three columns, with details under the
following headings:
idea/theme
scene (s) where it is illustrated or is
relevant
significance
characters who illustrate it + quotations
film techniques used to highlight it
Alternatively, whole class discussion after step 2 could decide on the major themes; each
group is then allocated one theme to create a chart or table for.
Step 4:
Report back to class. Several approaches:
1. Each group presents its findings to the class orally. The poster/charts can be pinned up
afterwards.
2. Each group writes up their findings on the board. If the board is big enough, it can be
divided into columns, with all groups writing up findings at the same time. [Students enjoy
doing this.]
3. Each group contributes to notes built up on the board by the teacher. This is the most
efficient method and tends to avoid too much repetition.
Step 5:
Class discussion and agreement on the most important of the ideas. It can be surprising and
rewarding to see how young people will see things in ways that adults may not.
Paul Haggis: Bobby [Moresco, his co-writer] and I didn't set out to actually write anything
about race or about intolerance or prejudice. We actually just started following these
characters around. Early on we were intrigued by the notion of how strangers affect other
strangers. And one way you judge a stranger is that he looks different from you. So the cast
became black and Persian and Hispanic and white and Asian.
Some suggestions

people's (racist) assumptions stop them seeing the actual person standing there








acceptance of racist stereotypes
the lumping together people of different groups and races
being forced to re-evaluate erroneous first impressions
power and powerlessness; and the misuse of power and authority
language is an important issue
trust
inadequacies in the health system (touched on)
gun control (sub-text)
Themes Tasks
The film starts with a statement about the way people in L.A. do not touch. "It's the sense of
touch. … Any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people. People bump into you.
In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that
touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something."

List every instance you can find when people do touch and comment on each example.
Language is an important issue in the film – not just the quality of the English people speak,
though that gets some attention, but also the way language is used to define or categorise us.

List as many examples as you can of characters being mocked or criticised for their poor
English.

List as many examples as you can where language use is an issue in other ways.
Discussion points
But we haven't really been made to think, or even to feel. Crash only confirms what we
already know about racism: it's inside every one of us. That should be a starting point, not a
startling revelation.
- Stephanie
Zacharek, Salon.com
It is a narrow, ungenerous and, finally, unrepresentative view of the world, one that suggests
people are correct in suspecting others as having only the worst motives. The film seems to
promote an ideology of victimhood, and shoves race-based thinking to the fore of every
human exchange. … A reasonably realistic and varied array of actions and responses is
rejected in favour of an anxiety-provoking slate of negative motives that fulfil the drama's
sociological programme, creating a blinkered view of humanity in a film that could have been
employed to examine a more diverse cross-section of attitudes.
-Todd McCarthy,
Variety
But for the most part, Crash works so hard at moral instructiveness that it's tedious to watch.
A universe in which we're all racist puppets is finally just as simpleminded and predictable as
one in which we're all smiling multi-coloured zombies in a rainbow coalition. … In the end,
Crash says, when you push a vicious racist, you get a caring human, but when you push a
caring human you get a vicious racist.
- David Edelstein, Slate
Virtually every conversation in Crash is contentious, and the participants in these
conversations run into each other far too often to be believable. But I'm willing to forgive
Crash its coincidences because it's never judgmental or glib about the battles its characters
face. The film mourns the direction society is taking, but it is compassionate about the
pressures that lead to foolish behaviour. And, although Haggis's sharp, surprisingly witty
script admits there are no easy answers, it holds out hope that it's possible to change hateful
behaviour. Even the 12-people-in-a-huge-city-who-keep-running-into-each-other thing works
for the movie. The idea is that even a big city is smaller than it seems. The planet is tiny,
Crash argues, and the differences between us insignificant.
- Chris Hewitt, St Paul
Pioneer Press
Don Cheadle, star and co-producer, disputes that the central issue is racism.
"Everybody says it's a movie about race but I don't think it is a movie about race, or, I would
say, racism. At its core, it's more about power. Every character in that movie is wrestling with
– is trying to find – power. Loss of power, and their place in the world, and how they affect
the world, and how the world affects them."
Themes: Some Ideas

people's (racist) assumptions stop them seeing who is really there

Graham, Kim Lee both call Ria a Mexican



Farhad is thought to be an Arab

GUN SHOP OWNER: Yo, Osama… Yeah, I'm ignorant? You're
liberating my country. And I'm flying 747s into your mud huts and
incinerating your friends?

SHEREEN: Look what they wrote. They think we're Arab. When
did Persian become Arab?
Choi is a "Chinaman"


JEAN: The guy with the shaved head, the pants around his ass, the
prison tattoo.
RICK: Those are not prison tattoos.
JEAN: Oh, really? And he's not gonna sell our key to one of his
gang-banger friends the moment he is out our door?
plus an ironic example from Anthony


PETER: Man, we done ran over a Chinaman.
Jean mistrusts Daniel because of his appearance


RIA: You want a lesson? I'll give you a lesson. How about a
geography lesson? My father's from Puerto Rico. My mother's from
El Salvador. Neither one of those is Mexico.
Look at us, dawg. Are we dressed like gang-bangers? Huh? No.
Do we look threatening? No. Fact. If anybody should be scared
around here, it's us! We're the only two black faces surrounded by
a sea of over-caffeinated white people patrolled by the trigger-happy
L.A.P.D.
often leads to the grouping together people of different groups and races

all Asians are Chinese; all Hispanics are Mexican; all blacks are criminals; all cops
are racist etc.
Haggis: This was something important I wanted to say – that we tend to lump all
groups together. … everyone from the Middle East is an Arab.


LUCIEN: Don't be ignorant. They're Thai or Cambodian. Entirely
different kind of chinks.

ANTHONY: Dopey Chinaman.
and use of stereotypes

ANTHONY: And black women don't think in stereotypes? You tell
me. When was the last time you met one who didn't think she knew
everything about your lazy ass before you even opened your mouth,
huh?

GRAHAM: Ah. Then I guess the big mystery is who gathered all
those remarkably different cultures together and taught them all how
to park their cars on their lawns.

misuse of power and authority

Ryan misuses his over Cameron and Christine

Dixon and Hanson – Hanson's genuine complaint dismissed in the name of personal
ambition and career


Fred asserts his power over Cameron

Shaniqua misuses hers to pay Ryan back for his racism

Jean uses her position as employer to snap at Maria

Flanagan 'buys' Graham by using his ability to lose an arrest warrant



G: So all, uh... all I need to do to make this disappear is to frame a
potentially innocent man?
power and powerlessness: people explode because they cannot do anything about
their own situation

RYAN: Look, you're not listening to me. This is an emergency. I
keep telling you he's in pain. He can't sleep.

CAMERON: I'm not sitting on no curb, I'm not putting my hands on
my head for nobody. [NB he talks 'black']
fear – people react as they do often out of fear



Just like I'm sure you understand how hard a black man has to work
to get to, say, where I am, in a racist organization like the L.A.P.D.
and how easily that can be taken away.
JEAN: But if a white person sees two black men walking towards
her, and she turns and walks in the other direction, she's a racist,
right?
Hanson over-reacts and shoots Peter
being forced to re-evaluate after first impressions – both characters and audience

Ryan – racist / hero

Anthony – impassioned defender of black rights / thief

Hanson – good guy/ shots Peter

Ria re Graham's behaviour to his mother – she hears only what he says on the phone
without knowing the truth behind it; at the morgue, she sees the love and her bitterly
unfair rejection of Graham and his hurt

Jean sees Maria's care is more than that of a servant

Anthony and Hanson are both forced to revaluate themselves

Cameron has to find himself again – not allow himself to be defined by Ryan and
Fred.

Christine and Ryan
Language

an important issue – people are often mocked for poor English

Ria and Kim Lee


Gun shop owner and Farhad


I am speaking English, you stupid cow! My husband name Choi Jin
Gui!
Shaniqua at end


Am I making insult "at" you? Is that the closest you can come to
English?
The nurse and Kim Lee


RIA: I "blake" too fast? I "blake" too fast. … I'm sorry you no see
my "blake" lights.
Uh-uh! Don't talk to me unless you speak American!
language an issue at other times


CHRISTINE: You're right, Cameron. I got a lot to learn 'cause I
haven't quite learned how to shuck and jive. Let me hear it again.
Thank you, mister policeman. You sure is mighty kind to us poor
black folk.

ANTHONY: Listen to it, man! "Nigger this, nigger that." You think
white people go around calling each other honkies all day, man?
"Hey, honky, how's business?" "Going great, cracker. We're
diversifying." … "Let's give the niggers this music by a bunch of
mumbling idiots and sooner or later, they'll all copy it, and nobody
will be able to understand a fucking word they say."

FRED: Have you noticed, uh... This is weird for a white guy to say,
but have you noticed he's talking a lot less black lately? … Like in
this scene, he was supposed to say, "Don't be talkin' 'bout that."
And he changed it to, "Don't talk to me about that."

DANIEL [to Farhad]: I'd appreciate if you'd stop calling me names.
Anthony uses words like 'brother' and 'their own' to refer to blacks, yet.

CAMERON [to Anthony]: Say it again, huh! Call me a nigger again!

'homey' is used twice, with different connotations.

Jean calls Daniel a homey = gang member:


Your amigo in there is gonna sell our key to one of his homeys.
later Ryan calls Gomez 'homey' = mate, friend; Gomez replies with 'amigo' = friend

RYAN: Yo, Gomez, you ready to roll, homey? GOMEZ: Ready,
amigo
touching
The film starts with a statement about the way people in L.A. do not touch.
It's the sense of touch. … Any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people.
People bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and
glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel
something.

List every instance you can find when people do touch others and comment on
each example.
positive
 Daniel kisses Lara, tucks her in – paternal love [14]
 Ryan helps his father off and then back onto the toilet – caring, supportive [21]
 Graham helps his mother inside – gentle, loving, son to mother cf. Ryan and his
father [31]
 Kim Lee touches Choi's cheek in the tenderest of ways – the only really tender touch
between married couples [48]
 Jean hugs Maria – looking for comfort and affection [52]
 Ryan hugs his father – strong love and support [54]
 Daniel holds Lara in anguish – thinks she has been shot [42]
 Ryan pulls Christine from car; he pulls her skirt down; he is pulled out [38] – reverses
previous touching of her
positive that becomes negative

Rick holds Jean's elbows to calm her; she shrugs him off angrily; she hits him in her
anger [6]

Cameron touches Christine on the shoulder after the assault and she winces away.
[11]

Ria and Graham are making love; she pushes him out of bed [20]

Christine puts her arm through Cameron's and he shakes it off – echoes her shaking
off of his touch [32]

Ryan shakes hands with Hanson – and holds it while he talks to him – the opposite of
'friendly' [34]

Graham holds his mother at the morgue [50] – she rejects him moments later
negative

Farhad is poked by owner, manhandled out of the gun shop [2]

Peter pushes Jean onto the ground: Rick drags her out of the way of the Navigator
[3]

Ryan manhandles Cameron, molests Christine; Hanson frisks Cameron [11]

Anthony knocks over Choi; they drag him out from under the vehicle [15]

Farhad's finger in Daniel's chest – aggressive, demanding [18]

Cameron and Anthony fight [41]

Hanson rolls Peter's body out of the car [45]
neutral

Jean puts her arm through Rick's as security – provokes Anthony to a scathing
criticism [3]
#
Even allowing for a few that may have been missed, how many films would have
people touching one another so few times?
Most of the touching is aggressive and violent, or the result of it; only about a third
can be seen to be positive, gentle, expressing care or concern or comfort. Most of
the positive examples are parent/child. The film's only two sexual episodes both end
badly.
NB: Graham keeps Ria at a distance emotionally; his mother rejects his love; Rick seems
concerned only with politics and image.
Planning and Writing Essays

Essay writing is a complex task. For less able students, break it down into smaller
bites. A series of paragraphs is a less daunting prospect than a long essay.

Explain to students that it is like arguing a case in court, in which evidence must be
presented in support of or in defence of an argument, an opinion. Debaters will find it
easier.

A good first step is to hold an "Irish debate", in which each student has to stand and
make a statement about the topic, with evidence from the film in support. This is more
effective if the topic has two sides, e.g. 'There are far too many coincidences for
credibility.'
or 'These characters are just caricatures.'
Suggested approach to writing an essay:
Step 1: Underline key words. Use them in the introduction to your essay.
Step 2: Plan your answer.

Impress on students the importance of planning. Avoid the term 'brainstorm', which is
more correctly used for gathering random thoughts. Planning involves the pulling
together of learned and understood material into a coherent and logical order so that a
question is answered.
Step 3: Answer the question in properly structured paragraphs. Aim for five paragraphs: an
introduction, three containing the substance, and a conclusion. Use at least one
relevant quotation or reference in each main paragraph; aim for two or three.
Question:
Discuss the effectiveness of the techniques used to connect different storylines in a
film you have studied.
(Note: Techniques may include narrative, structural and/or filmic techniques.)
Step 1: Discuss the effectiveness of the techniques used to connect different storylines.
The essay will need to clarify the various storylines, identify specific techniques, show HOW
they link the various plots and comment on how successful they are. These things do not
need to be dealt with separately: what, how and evaluation can be integrated into the same
paragraph; indeed, it is better if they are.
Step 2: Plan. (In an exam, keep this to a few brief notes.)
Intro
Explain the intertwining plot threads
list the techniques to be discussed
paragraph 2
paragraph 3
paragraph 4
characters
parallels in action and
camerawork
motifs
conclusion
comment on effectiveness; pull argument together
Step 3: Write an answer
Ensure that specific details and references are included; in film answers, descriptions
of shots etc are the equivalent of quotations in literature answers.
Discuss the effectiveness of the techniques used to connect different storylines in
a film you have studied.
When writer-director Paul Haggis and his co-writer Bobby Moresco set out to write Crash,
they did not intend to write about racism, though that is what the film ended up being about.
Their original idea was to follow a series of characters through Los Angeles and see what
happened when they 'collided' with strangers. The result is a film with multiple storylines –
five to start with and 11 by the time these have split into different strands – which is more like
a tapestry of life in L.A. than a conventionally plotted story. The techniques used to link these
numerous plots are, among others, the characters themselves, plot and cinematic parallels
and echoes, and the traditional unifying device of motifs.
The characters in this film are in a way like snooker balls on a table; hit one into a group
and they each knock into others. The film opens with the arrival of Detective Graham Waters
and his partner Ria at a crime scene, where Graham finds the body of his brother Peter –
though this last fact is not revealed until later. The film then jumps back 24 hours to show the
chain of events that lead to Peter's death. During those 24 hours, Graham investigates the
shooting of a black police officer, which leads to a meeting at the DA's office where Peter's
arrest warrant is used as a lever to have Graham support a prosecution. Peter is in trouble
because of a car-jacking – an event that triggers a chain of events. The Navigator belongs to
the DA Rick Cabot himself. This vehicle knocks over Choi, who is the protagonist of a third
plot-line (the smuggling of illegal Asian workers). The SUV rejected as unsafe, Peter and his
partner Anthony attempt to steal another Navigator, thus linking another plot, that of a
successful black couple Cameron and Christine Thayer. They have previously been the
victims of an assault by a racist police officer, Ryan, whose behaviour has so disgusted his
partner Hanson that he asks for a new partner. Hanson later saves Cameron from a police
confrontation, a direct result of the attempted theft and an indirect result of Ryan's behaviour;
Ryan turns our judgements upside down when he risks his own life to rescue Christine from a
car fire. And then Hanson is responsible for the death of Peter. The effectiveness of this
structure has been questioned as too coincidental, as suggesting the city has only a handful
of people in it, but this is to miss the point. The film needs to be seen for what it is - a
parable, an allegory of human behaviour, in which coincidences and juxtapositions like these
are acceptable, useful and telling.
Haggis is not content to have just his characters link the many storylines; he also uses
cinematographical echoes and parallels, repeating shots and angles. Scenes in one plot are
echoed in another. High angle shots suggest that these characters are not in control of their
own fates: the film opens and closes with them, and with a car crash – a rear-ending – that
emphasises the parallel. After the first, Ria, who is mistaken for a Mexican, mocks the poor
English of the other driver, Korean Kim Lee: "I 'blake' too fast? I'm sorry you no see my
'blake' lights." At the end, Shaniqua, who has been on the receiving end of Ryan's racism,
echoes Ria: "Don't talk to me unless you speak English." Scenes from different plots echo
the other: two cars burn; two wives call their husbands from bed after accidents; children
comfort their parents. The most obvious links between plots are through the transitions from
scene to scene: through doors and vehicles particularly. Several scenes are linked by
vehicles passing the camera and revealing a new scene – Anthony drives the Navigator
away, and when he has gone, the crime scene of the shooting is revealed. Later locksmith
Daniel, on his way to fix Farhad's door, backs his white van out of the drive, and it turns into
the black Navigator. Doors are effective links: Farhad's daughter Dorri pushes open the door
of the gun shop, and the scene cuts to Anthony and Peter walking out of the door of a
restaurant. As Ryan leaves Shaniqua's office (in the sub-plot of his father's medical
condition) he reaches to open a door; a cut to the next scene has a messenger opening the
door into the locksmiths where Daniel works and from whom Farhad is trying to get his name
– in another plot line involving doors, keys and locks.
Keys and locks are among a number of motifs that are effective in providing links
between plots. After the car-jacking, Daniel is called to change the locks in the Cabot house.
Perhaps because Jean Cabot offensively assumes from his tattoos that he is a gang
member, Daniel, one of the few characters who does not demonstrate racism, is less than
patient when Farhad accuses him of trying to cheat him. This failure of lock and key is a
direct cause of Farhad's confronting Daniel with a gun – another of the motifs that unify the
film. Guns are indeed ubiquitous in Crash – from the purchase by Farhad in an early scene;
to Anthony's reference to the "trigger-happy LAPD"; to Cameron's fear of Ryan's gun; to the
guns that Anthony and Peter use to steal vehicles, one of which Cameron has tucked in his
belt when Hanson assures his fellow police officers that "this man is unarmed." There is "a
nice gun" in the car of shot officer Lewis; and it is a police gun that shoots Peter. Other
motifs that link plots are the repetition of the lines "Look at me", used by both Ryan and
Cameron; the crosses that are often in the background of scenes, and the ubiquitous
Christmas decorations. Stop signs are significant in the Hanson-Peter plot and in the
Cameron plot, where they climax with a huge Father Christmas with his hand up like a stop
sign.
The effectiveness of these methods of connecting the many plot lines in this film is shown
by the fact that the stories are never confusing, that each flows seamlessly into the next. One
of the main points of the film is to demonstrate the 'connectedness' of people, the way they all
touch and affect other people. In the end, the plots are all integrated into one large tapestry
of 36 hours of life in a big city.
[number of words: 1074]