“Films Are Primarily Concerned with the Issues of Everyday People.” to What Extent Do You Agree to This View? (Based on the Film Crash)
Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, is a film that follows a range of characters whose lives intertwine over the course of 24 hours. These characters all have different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, but are each facing the same issues of racial prejudice and stereotyping because of their differences. This makes the idea that "films are primarily concerned with the issues of everyday people" a highly accurate statement in regards to Crash. Crash provides an in-depth look into these issues of prejudice and stereotyping and shows how they affect everyone's lives.
The opening scene is great in presenting the issue of racism right from the start. There has been a pile-up on a motorway and Detective Ria is soon arguing with an Asian lady. “I ‘blake’ too fast? I'm sorry, you no see my ‘blake’ lights"? …Maybe you see over steering wheel, you ‘blake’ too.” These harsh words set the film up for a story full of racism and prejudice. Paul Haggis uses this negative mood to show the anger and frustration that is a main factor in causing the racism. Ria’s partner, Detective Graham also compares the racism to the crash they’ve just had. “In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass.” What Haggis is showing is that when you're in your car, you feel safe and oblivious to everything outside of your world because you are secluded in your own little space. It's only if you crash that you have to deal with the reality of what's happening outside your own life. This is much the same with racial prejudice. You can live in your own little bubble, but when you find yourself "crashing into" someone else’s life, you'll be forced to deal with your racial prejudices. Haggis wanted to show the audience that you can’t avoid racism and that we need to acknowledge our racial tendencies before we can change the way society reacts. By having such a large range of characters that ‘crash’ into each other he was also able to show how different the reactions of people are
The opening scene is great in presenting the issue of racism right from the start. There has been a pile-up on a motorway and Detective Ria is soon arguing with an Asian lady. “I ‘blake’ too fast? I'm sorry, you no see my ‘blake’ lights"? …Maybe you see over steering wheel, you ‘blake’ too.” These harsh words set the film up for a story full of racism and prejudice. Paul Haggis uses this negative mood to show the anger and frustration that is a main factor in causing the racism. Ria’s partner, Detective Graham also compares the racism to the crash they’ve just had. “In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass.” What Haggis is showing is that when you're in your car, you feel safe and oblivious to everything outside of your world because you are secluded in your own little space. It's only if you crash that you have to deal with the reality of what's happening outside your own life. This is much the same with racial prejudice. You can live in your own little bubble, but when you find yourself "crashing into" someone else’s life, you'll be forced to deal with your racial prejudices. Haggis wanted to show the audience that you can’t avoid racism and that we need to acknowledge our racial tendencies before we can change the way society reacts. By having such a large range of characters that ‘crash’ into each other he was also able to show how different the reactions of people are