Review of Crash
November 29th 2006 00:07
Crash (2004)
Directed: Paul Haggis
Written: Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco
Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe, Michael Pena, Ludacris, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Shaun Tuob, Terrence Howard.
Race is On
So finally, finally, I feel well enough to turn on the TV and what is the first thing I see but Crash, this years’ surprise winner of the Best Picture Oscar – clearly it’s a sign to get off my ass and start living again.
And so I watched, a little confused at first (a film with multiple interlinked storylines is not easy to follow if you come to it halfway through, Thank God for Showtime 2) as this poignant and complicated movie unfolded, telling the tales of an array of different characters as they all struggle with the issues of race and racism on one particularly cold night in LA.
I won’t bore you with too many of the specifics, the various storylines are only vaguely interwoven and the connections between them are brief, like so many of the interactions of our lives. This film, like Traffic and countless other ensemble pieces before it relies on the development of these different points of view to tell the entirety of such a complicated and many sided issue. In the end, while the film reaches a brilliant and very telling conclusion, it can barely scratch the surface of what will doubtless be a part of our existence until kingdom come.
The first thing I should say in presenting my opinion of this film is that I am not an American. I’ve visited the country on two occasions, but that hardly puts me in a position to really understand all the history and controversy that make up the race relations in such a place. This is not to say that my own country, Australia, does not have a track record with the issue (White Australia Policy anyone? Cronulla Riots? Pauline Hanson?) but the intricacies of black vs. white were not something that overly inoculated my childhood. If anyone wants to understand the history these issues in Oz. I recommend watching Rabbit Proof Fence, or else the greatly underrated Australian Rules. So, with that in mind, bear with me as I mumble my way through this review.
I loved this film. The fully realised and well acted characters, their gradual progression towards understanding, the brilliant script, the cinematography, everything. After watching it I can, if not quite agree with its Oscar win (Brokeback Mountain I think still affected me more), at least understand why it was such a strong contender. I think my only honest objection to it was that it wasn’t longer.
Brilliant, complicated, thought-provoking and honest.
9/10
Directed: Paul Haggis
Written: Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco
Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe, Michael Pena, Ludacris, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Shaun Tuob, Terrence Howard.
Race is On
So finally, finally, I feel well enough to turn on the TV and what is the first thing I see but Crash, this years’ surprise winner of the Best Picture Oscar – clearly it’s a sign to get off my ass and start living again.
And so I watched, a little confused at first (a film with multiple interlinked storylines is not easy to follow if you come to it halfway through, Thank God for Showtime 2) as this poignant and complicated movie unfolded, telling the tales of an array of different characters as they all struggle with the issues of race and racism on one particularly cold night in LA.
I won’t bore you with too many of the specifics, the various storylines are only vaguely interwoven and the connections between them are brief, like so many of the interactions of our lives. This film, like Traffic and countless other ensemble pieces before it relies on the development of these different points of view to tell the entirety of such a complicated and many sided issue. In the end, while the film reaches a brilliant and very telling conclusion, it can barely scratch the surface of what will doubtless be a part of our existence until kingdom come.
The first thing I should say in presenting my opinion of this film is that I am not an American. I’ve visited the country on two occasions, but that hardly puts me in a position to really understand all the history and controversy that make up the race relations in such a place. This is not to say that my own country, Australia, does not have a track record with the issue (White Australia Policy anyone? Cronulla Riots? Pauline Hanson?) but the intricacies of black vs. white were not something that overly inoculated my childhood. If anyone wants to understand the history these issues in Oz. I recommend watching Rabbit Proof Fence, or else the greatly underrated Australian Rules. So, with that in mind, bear with me as I mumble my way through this review.
I loved this film. The fully realised and well acted characters, their gradual progression towards understanding, the brilliant script, the cinematography, everything. After watching it I can, if not quite agree with its Oscar win (Brokeback Mountain I think still affected me more), at least understand why it was such a strong contender. I think my only honest objection to it was that it wasn’t longer.
Brilliant, complicated, thought-provoking and honest.
9/10
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Comment by Chantal
Can I ask how Pauline Hanson became an Australian Icon? Did everyone forget how she came about?
Brokeback Mountain "affected" you in what way, may I ask?
Great review!!
Comment by Georgie
Oz Movies
Yeah I'm not too sure how Pauline managed to make it to icon status either but somehow the embarrassing stuff in your nations history seems to stick around. People may not have voted her in for the things she ended up standing for but One Nation did end up getting a few seats in various state elections. In the end she ended up on that appalling dancing show - the graveyard of misgotten fame, so I guess she did get some kind of recognition.
I think what I liked about Brokeback was the initmacy of the story, which is not something you encounter much of in movies these days. Although I have to say I first found the idea of male on male romance a little weird (I've never watched a film where this was the major theme) the poignancy of their situation of forbidden love was something that really struck a chord with me for some reason. Crash dealt with something that is very out there, exposed, whereas BBM was very personal. In the end I guess it just comes down to personal preference.
Comment by Anonymous
Reminds me of Crash, only I think it was better!!
Doug