"Crash" Character Analysis
Challenging and thought-provoking, Paul Haggis' "Crash" takes a provocative, unflinching look at the complexities of racial tolerance in contemporary America. Diving headlong into the diverse melting pot of post-9/11 Los Angeles, this compelling urban drama tracks the volatile intersections of a multi-ethnic cast of characters' struggles to overcome their fears as they careen in and out of one another's lives. In the gray area between black and white, victim and aggressor, there are no easy answers. Funny, powerful, and always unpredictable, "Crash" boldly reminds us of the importance of tolerance as it ventures beyond color lines
and uncovers the truth of our shared humanity (plot synopsis from film's official site). Most people avoid discussing racial differences. Though differences exist it is not only in bad taste to mention them, it also places one in the awkward stance of being labeled a racist. After watching "Crash" I realized that this type of attitude often accomplishes the opposite of its intention, as it furthers racial prejudice and close-mindedness. It is when people do not talk about their differences that they fail to abolish them. Writers Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco confront a touchy subject by creating racial tension only rivaled by such pictures as "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", "The Defiant Ones" or "Do The Right Thing". They then cause the characters to undergo personal experiences brought on by tragedy, shock, relief and love which ultimately change them into entirely different people; In each case they turned out to discover they were not the people they thought they were, almost the opposite. The story of this film is as character-driven as it gets and is told through the perspective of an ensemble cast of characters in a style reminiscent of movies like "Traffic" and "Magnolia". I was so impressed with the way the characters were developed that choosing one started to cause problems with me. Because of the way the characters