Initial responce
Your taste is to answer the following questions, with evidence from the text.
a} Write a BREIF polt overview
Characters include a district attorney (Brendan Fraser) and his casually prejudiced wife (Sandra Bullock), dating police detectives Graham (Don Cheadle) and Ria (Jennifer Esposito), a victimised Middle Eastern store owner and a wealthy African-American couple (Terrence Dashon Howard, Thandie Newton) humiliated by a racist traffic cop (Matt Dillon).
Crash the movie is set in L.A and is about how a very diverse group of people are brought together because of a cash as all their faits have been to intertwine through things such as race, class and gender.
The prejudge and assumptions surrounding race is the most apparent thought the movie. The main characters include a district attorney and his casually prejudiced wife, police detectives Graham and Ria (dating), a victimised middle eastern store owner, and a wealthy African-American couple who where humiliated by a racist traffic cop. Their faits are all connected. We all have a good and a bad side, and this movie explores this in depths when characters are forced into a situation where they react out of instincts.
b} Discuss a character that was of interest to you and explain why.
Jean Cabot (Sandra bullock) was a character that really stood out to me. I think her reasons and morals behind her actions. I believe that she is a character that the audience can relate to. She had good intentions, but others and her own views are overpowered by her good intentions. Her fear of something bad happening surrounding coloured people, rattled her. And her car being highjacked almost confirmed her fears. Before that happened she was cautious but never acted on it. After her car was highjacked she has a reason and justification to act so poorly towards coloured people, making the audience have sympathy for her. I think the purpose of Sandra’s character is to showcase that you can have the “American Dream” but you can still be so miserable and unhappy.
c} What do you believe that directors intention was – explore this and the moments that allowed you to experience this.
I believe the directors intention was to display racism and how diffrent people cope with discrimination and prejudice. To display two people arn’t always what they seem to be nor don’t necessarily match the stereotypes surrounding them.
d} How did Higgis use stereotypes to manipulate views?
Discuss and research the setting of L.A. Why do you think it was set here and how did it influence the plot/interactions.
L.A is a busy place with a very high population. At the start of the movie, he almost encouraged these stereotypes. L.A has all races and is not always the most tame when it comes to discrimination with racism. Especially after the tourist attack with 9/11 everyone is a little on edge. He made the watchers think that all of these people are going to be exactly like the stereotypes surrounding them. I think the purpose of the film was to show that many people deal with discrimination in diffrent ways and you don’t always have to be what people perceive you to be.
The racial/ethnic/cultural composition of Los Angeles as of the 2005-2009 American Community Survey was as follows: White: 41.3% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 29.4%) Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 47.5% Black or African American: 9.8%
e} Where there any cinematography techniques that stood out to you? Choose ONE and discuss Its effect (presenting directors intention, causing a viewer realisation… I chose two..
One cinematography technique that really stood out to me was at 1:22 in the movie where (can’t remember name, lock fixer)’s daughter ran out and save her. The way the director slowed that scene right done so that everything was happening in slow motion. By doing this you really got to the the characters emotions and what they were thinking in that moment through their facial expressions. They really gave you time to relate and feel something towards those characters. Whether that be anger towards the shooter or sorrow and sadness towards the family.
I also really liked the cinematography technique around 1:30 where Ryan Phillippe (Officer Tom Hansen) and Peter Waters (Larenz Tate) where in the vehicle together and having a heated moment. Officer Hansen thinks he’s being threatened because of prejudge and assumptions, ehe reaches for his gun as he thinks Larenz is doing the same. After the tense heated moment the camera angle switches to outside the back of the car, theres a brief moment and then you hear the gunshot and see a flash of light inside the car. I think that is camera shot is clever as it added alot of suspense and has people on the edge of their seats. This is a cleverly way to suck people back into the movie and has them intrigued to find out what will happen next, even if it only lasts 10 seconds.
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