The movie Crash has many examples of racial stereotyping and prejudice. From the very beginning stereotypes against multiple races are shown. There are a wealthy white man and woman walking down the street and Jean holds onto her purse and moves closer to her husband Rick when she sees two black men walking toward them. Anthony and Peter, the two black men walking toward Jean and Rick notice Jean’s reaction and they hijack Rick and Jean’s SUV. This confirmed the negative feelings that Jean had toward black men. When they get home she wants the locks changed because her purse was stolen and the car keys with the house keys were in the hands of strangers. Rick hired a Mexican man to do the lock replacement. Jean comes downstairs and sees the Mexican man and gets very upset. She makes some racial remarks about Daniel going out and selling the new keys to his “homies” and she wants the locks changed again the next day. Rick thinks that she is being irrational. She screams at him that she just got a gun shoved in her face and how is she supposed to feel.
Cameron and Christine are a black well off couple. They experience stereotyping and racism when they are driving home from a party. A white police officer pulls them over for driving while black. He makes them both get out of the car and does a search on both Cameron and Christine. Officer Ryan has Cameron and Christine stand next to each other so Cameron can see what he does to his wife. Ryan runs his hands up Christine’s legs and fingers her. Cameron does nothing to stop this violation of his wife because he is afraid of the legal consequences of speaking out against a white police officer. Cameron and Christine got in a fight when they got home because Christine was angry that Cameron did not stick up for her to Ryan. Ryan also had a white partner with him, Hansen, that thinks the inappropriate search is wrong but does nothing to stop it because Ryan is his partner.
Farhad is a Middle Eastern store owner who fears for the safety of his family because everyone thinks of them as terrorist because of the 9/11 attacks. His store gets broken into and there is graffiti written all over the walls. He hires Daniel to fix the lock on the back wall that Jean and Rick hired. When Daniel goes home to his family his little girl runs out to meet him. As she runs out the front door she almost gets shot by a stray bullet from a black man doing a drive by. Daniel jumps in front of her so she doesn’t get hit, the bullet was blank. Daniel tells the little girl that an angel is watching over them because he did not die.
Graham is a black officer who has a Hispanic partner, Rita. They are dating in addition to being partners. At one point they are lying in bed together and the phone rings. Graham answers it and tells his mom that he will talk to her later that he is with a white woman. Rita gets mad at this because she is Puerto Rican and the only reason he said he was with a white woman was because that would make is mom angrier than if he would have said he was with a Hispanic woman.
There are many examples of racism and stereotypes in the movie Crash. It is blatant and outright racism with some of the characters. Anthony, Jean, and Ryan have the most obvious feelings of racism. Rick, Hansen, and Peter do not have strong racist feelings but they do little or nothing to stop the racist behavior of their wife, partner, and friend.
5 comments:
I like how you analyzed the movie Crash to demonstrate how racism and prejudices affects people's actions and behaviors. I also liked how the movie introduced the issue of minorities holding prejudices and negative stereotypes against each other. Some communities are held back from advancement because members refuse to learn or understand cultures and lifestyles of other minorities that are different from them.
Expansion from above:
Another aspect that seemed apparent in the movie were the different social classes. In Jean's case, she used the locksmiths race and class against him by assuming that he would harm her and her family. For African American couple, their class had no leverage over their race. I believe that part of the film represented how some minorities could be influential and successful, however,they are suprised to find that they are still are treated like the 'others'.
I think social class can play a part in the workings of our soceity because it seems like wealthier people are more likely to get away with crimes or offenses. This could be because they can afford better lawyers to defend them and are more likey to know the system and their rights because they are, presumbly, better educated.
THIS IS INCORRECT---
When Daniel goes home to his family his little girl runs out to meet him. As she runs out the front door she almost gets shot by a stray bullet from a black man doing a drive by. Daniel jumps in front of her so she doesn’t get hit, the bullet was blank. Daniel tells the little girl that an angel is watching over them because he did not die.
THAT IS INCORRECT:-
Daniels daughter runs out to greet him when he gets home. Farhad (gun store owner) blames daniel for his store getting robbed as he didn't fix the door properly (Farhads fault not Daniels). Farhad wants revenge and goes to shoot Daniel. Previously when buying the gun he purchases blanks (without realizing). So Daniel and Farhad both think Lara is dead when he shoots the gun, however she moves, Farhad doesn't realize about the blanks and neither does Daniel , so they both turn to a higher power as an explanation for this 'miracle', Daniel tells his daughter that angels are watching over her.
He's not a Gun store owner...he is a store owner who owns a gun. Farhad's daughter purchases the blanks...not him.
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