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Erin Coggins
Prof. Julie Hicks
LBST 1100 Arts and Society
November 4, 2014
Crash Response
The film Crash, directed by Paul Haggis and produced by Don Cheadle in 2004,
critiques modern culture by exposing racial stereotypes. The title holds significance in
the plot and purpose of the film. And although each character harbors their own
prejudices, they each have a moment of grace, giving the audience hope for a brighter
future of racial equality. Personally, I loved the editing, storyline, and characters of
Haggis Crash.
Apart from the 3 literal car crashes, the title, Crash, is significant in the storyline
and purpose of the film. Paul Haggis is trying to point out both the blatant and subtle
racial prejudices in modern society. He depicts the idea that peoples lives are constantly
crashing into each other, and racism makes these crashes devastating. In the opening
scene, Detective Graham Waters says, Its the sense of touch. In any real city, you
walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody
touches you. Were always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so
much, that we crash into each, just so we can feel something. The characters of this film
are interwoven throughout the story, interacting with each other in business deals, casual
conversation, or unfortunate tragedy. Throughout the film, the audience also sees
characters verbally colliding with other characters. For example, Christine Thayer was
molested after being pulled over by Officer John Ryan and Officer Tom Hansen. As the

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Thayer couple arrive home, Christine, extremely embarrassed and violated, yells at
Cameron for not standing up for her. Their argument erupts into an intense scene with
yelling and Cameron abruptly leaving the room. Also, after Jean and Rick Cabot have
their car stolen by Anthony and Peter Waters, Jean screams at Rick. She demands that
the locks be changed in the morning and makes her distrust in Daniel, the locksmith,
known by yelling. Further, after Farhads store is ransacked, he finds Daniel and
demands money from him. He is violently screaming as he points a gun to Daniel. Lara
runs out of the house to protect her father, and Farhad shoots a (blank) bullet at her. The
heightened emotion was paired with terrified shrieks, obvious panic, and a deafening
shot. The title, Crash, signifies the idea that, as people, we are constantly colliding with
each other, and how racism often causes those crashes.
Although the characters in Crash each have their specific prejudices, they also
have a moment of grace, a time where they reveal their morality and humanity. Towards
the end of film, Jean Cabot falls down the stairs and is unable to get up. She calls her
best friend of 10 years, who will not leave her massage to help. Maria, the housekeeper,
helps Jean Cabot into bed and takes care of her. As Maria helps her move, Jean hugs her,
creating a tender and thankful tone in the scene. Jean realizes that Maria is the best friend
she has, and the audience can hope that she will begin to treat her with more respect from
then on. The audience can also see character growth as Christine Thayer is trapped in her
flipped car after an accident, and Officer John Ryan tries to save her. Christine begins
screaming and crying hysterically, recollecting her molestation. Officer John Ryan
notices leaking gas and a nearby flame, convincing her to trust him. The other police
officers see the danger as well and pull Officer John Ryan out of the car. He remembers

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his promise of safety, dashes back into the car, and drags Christine Thayer out of the
exploding car. In this instant, Officer John Ryans moment of grace, the perception of his
character switches from a racist cop to a daring hero. This act of bravery allows Officer
John Ryan to understand that each life is worth saving, regardless of race. Another
dramatic change occurs in the life of Anthony, one of the car thieves. After trying to sell
a large, white van, he realizes that there are people stored in the back of the van. He is
offered $500 for each person, yet turns it down. After stealing multiple cars and running
over a man, he chooses to take the people into the city, let them go, and give them money
for food. For this brief moment, Anthony makes a conscious decision to treat these
people well, and the audience is given hope that in the future, he will continue to make
good decisions. Anthonys kind actions show him that he is capable of compassion,
which makes him smile as he drives away. Each moment of grace in Crash reveals the
humanity of the characters amidst the racism and prejudices throughout Los Angeles.
I absolutely loved watching the film Crash. The editing, storyline, and dynamic
characters kept me completely engaged the entire time. Most of the movie was shot in
the dark, which mimics the intensity of the racial stereotypes and anger of the characters.
The lights of the cars and buildings also caught my attention. They seemed soft and
haloed in comparison to the dark backgrounds. This lighting could reflect the idea that
fighting racial inequality starts with making small differences. Acts of bravery and
equality may not be noticed, but they will slowly illuminate the evil of racial prejudices.
I also found the storyline to be extremely captivating. I found myself constantly trying to
connect the characters and storyline pieces together. The story was fast-paced and
interesting. I also found myself to be extremely emotionally invested in the characters.

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As Farhad shoots at Lara and Daniel, my jaw dropped and I nearly leapt out of my seat.
The characters were dynamic and complicated, which kept the audience tuned into the
story. There were not explicit heroes and villains, just normal people making both good
and bad decisions. I loved watching Anthony change from a thief to a hero, Officer Tom
Hansen transform from innocent to experienced, and Jean Cabot shift from demanding to
thankful. The dynamic characters represent real people who make real decisions in real
life situations. The symbolic editing, captivating storyline, and relatable characters made
me absolutely love Crash.
Watching the film Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, depicts and exposes many
prevalent racial stereotypes and prejudices in modern society. The title, Crash, reflects
the idea that people are constantly colliding with each other and the effects of racism in
that interaction. The characters, although they have their personal prejudices, show
moments of grace, giving the audience hope for a brighter future. I loved watching
Crash because of the beautiful editing, enthralling storyline, and dynamic characters.