REEL REFLECTIONS

"CRASH"
A Review

David Greiser

By now we know that, biologically speaking, there is essentially no such thing as "race." But for a concept lacking in reality, "race" continues to be a powerful definer of human motives and actions.

"Crash" is a film that expertly and uncomfortably canvasses many of the painful nuances of the racial divide in America. Written and directed by Paul Haggis, the screenwriter of 2004’s Oscar-winning boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby," "Crash" is a writer’s movie, with an excellent ensemble cast headed by Don Cheadle ("Hotel Rwanda," "Ocean’s Eleven" and "Ocean’s Twelve") and Matt Dillon.

The chaotic story unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, with a narrative arc that doubles back on itself from end to beginning to end, framed by a series of car crashes that become parables in the story.

The real revelations in the script, however, belong to its dialogue. Haggis offers us characters that say what they think and whose words reveal complex human beings who are simultaneously capable of smug prejudice and selfless heroism. There are no stereotypical characters here; because of that, we become absorbed in the story, unsure of where it might veer next.

"Crash" is less a story than a series of independent vignettes, several of which turn out to be unexpectedly interlocked. It is peopled by whites, blacks (both rich and poor), Latinos, Koreans, Iranians, cops, and thugs.

Each character is in some way defined by racism, and all eventually become victims of some expression of prejudice. There is a pair of black philosopher-carjackers (played by Larenz Tate and Ludacris) who trawl Los Angeles by night, robbing the rich a la Robin Hood. One of their victims, the paranoid wife of the Los Angeles D.A. (Sandra Bullock in an uncharacteristically unlikable role), has the house locks changed, then frets that the Latino locksmith and his "homies" will return and burglarize her later.

A racist white cop (Matt Dillon) and his partner (played by Ryan Philippe) stop an SUV driven by a black TV director and his light- skinned wife. In the course of the arrest, Dillon’s character gropes the woman while her husband is forced to watch helplessly. Ironically, both cops must later become heroically involved in the lives of the couple.

A black cop (Don Cheadle) has an affair with his Latina partner (Jennifer Esposito) but can never remember which country she’s from. An Iranian store owner (played by Shaun Toub) buys a gun for protection because his neighbors believe he is an Arab terrorist (he is, in fact, Persian, not Arab). And so it goes.

Haggis explores the racial encounters unflinchingly, which can make for some uncomfortable viewing. But his characters are never one-dimensional, nor are the issues they portray. Instead, many of the characters express compassionate natures and racist rage simultaneously, even as viewers may well experience the same mixture within themselves as they become involved in the film.

Don Cheadle’s character walks a tightrope between enforcing the law and genuinely seeking out justice. While he is a good cop, he is a failure at home as a brother and a son. Matt Dillon’s Officer Ryan wields brutal power over the African-Americans he arrests, but that power is exchanged for an anguished helplessness as he cares for his sick father at home, and pleads with the black HMO representative who is cutting off his coverage. Bullock’s character berates her Latina maid for her perpetual tardiness, only to admit to her later, "You are the only friend I have."

I suppose some viewers might find parts of "Crash" to be emotionally manipulative, in that Haggis brings together the parts of his story in some unlikely and random ways. I prefer to think of this technique as parabolic storytelling, making a strong point even while retaining the feel of real life.

There is an undeniably spiritual element in this film; an element of predestination, and an even larger intimation, at points, of divine intervention. Perhaps Haggis is telling us that the healing of our racial divisions requires intervention from beyond. Certainly he is saying that, in a world where everything seems to be black and white, nothing finally is.

—David Greiser left a multicultural pastorate in Philadelphia in 1993. He presently serves as pastor of the nearly all white Souderton Mennonite Church, and teaches preaching to mostly African-American classes at Palmer Theological Seminary (formerly Eastern Baptist) in Philadelphia.