Crash

Tlalconetl (the hardest name to type ever),

i think that's a rather pessimistic assessment of that scene. i didn't see it as him gaining more power over the victim. i saw it as him looking into her eyes, seeing how much he had destroyed her, and it clicking for him that the world is not about race. We are all people, equally going through both triumph and tragedy. That this woman was just as helpless as his father. And by saving her life, he was actually saving his own. can you really look at matt dillon's face in that scene and take away that his intentions were malicious?

anyway, i'm tired of defending this film. So from now on, you will have to refer back to this post for my argument. This film WILL win the academy award for best film. And all you guys heard it here first.
 
I saw the film as trying to show the characters as very real and very complex characters, something very true to life. Bad cops doing good, good cops doing bad, the compromises we make and opportunities and privileges we take on a daily basis (even if we are not aware of them).

In this respect, the film did a great job. The film was very Sayles like, which is a good thing and a complement.

Again, I thought it was a good film, but I wouldn't consider it great. I measure that in this way, I have no interest in buying the dvd or renting it a second time. However, I would use it in class to discuss race, class, and film.

Its a gutsy movie in the sense that it covers issues most filmmakers avoid and many more don't like to discuss.

But in terms of say screenplay and acting I wasn't all that impressed. Not that it was bad it was good, but nothing wow. I liked the cinematography but the editing a little bit less.
 
c.g._eads said:
Tlalconetl (the hardest name to type ever),

i think that's a rather pessimistic assessment of that scene. i didn't see it as him gaining more power over the victim. i saw it as him looking into her eyes, seeing how much he had destroyed her, and it clicking for him that the world is not about race. We are all people, equally going through both triumph and tragedy. That this woman was just as helpless as his father. And by saving her life, he was actually saving his own. can you really look at matt dillon's face in that scene and take away that his intentions were malicious?

anyway, i'm tired of defending this film. So from now on, you will have to refer back to this post for my argument. This film WILL win the academy award for best film. And all you guys heard it here first.
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c.g.:

I understand your point, but the scene would have been more powerful if the gal had died just as Dillon's character is dragged out by his buddies and they're both reaching for each other. That was a great scene and at that point I really thought she was going to die, but then the cop scrambles back into the vehicle and saves her. Typical ****ing hollywood.

Tlalconetl is not as hard to type as the other user name I considered when I joined dvxuser: Tlalhuizcalpantecuhtli
 
i'm violating my last post, but i don't care. i'm not arguing with you on this, but i thought it interesting to comment, because while you thought 'typical ****ing hollywood' when he went back in to save her, i thought 'holy ****ing **** how original', because it seems like in the movies that i've seen which are similar to Crash, that person usually dies. it's just weird how we can have two totally different opinions on what's original or not. anyway, i agree that the second user name would've been a little harder to type.
 
I thought the film was good. And if a lot of people end up seeing it and it makes them think about maybe being a bit more understanding and friendly to someone else then I think it's great. Sure there may be other more well-crafted films that make this same or similar point, but the fact is this one is getting some buzz now and so I am all for it, it's got a good message, I just hope people "get it".

It really started to piss me off and get my blood boiling with all the racial stuff left and right seemingly just for the sake of shock (oh man I wanted to kill Matt Dillon's cop in that first encounter!) But then later when Cheadle found out who the young victim was, then it became clearer what they were trying to say and I really got it, went from a 6-7/10 to an 8-9/10 for me then at that point.
 
I think overall, this film is very beautiful, with regard to the cinematography and some truly breathtaking scenes (like the Matt Dillon and the overturned car thing, and the Ryan Phillipe-Terrence Howard scene where Ludacris is in the car). I thought those scenes raised the score for this film. Some things about the movie really bugged me, though. Any of the scenes with Brenden Fraser for one. The only time I've ever liked him was in "The Quiet American." Also, what was the deal with the cop-shooting-cop subplot? That was unbelievably weak in my opinion, and existed only to set-up Don Cheadle's choice later in the movie. That whole subplot was extremely muddled to me (not the relationship b/w Cheadle, his mother and his brother, but the case he's investigating). I think it wasn't even necessary. The story revolving around Cheadle, his mother, brother and girlfriend could all have existed without it. I think the film would have been more beautiful without it, too. We don't really get a lot of detail on any of the stories, just an emotional feeling from actions and dialogue, so the detail in that particular subplot is disruptive.

Also, I didn't particularly care for the scene with the Mexican guy, his daughter and the Persian guy. I thought the "blanks" thing was clever, and I liked the pay-off; I just didn't like that the scene played out in slow-motion. It was overly dramatic. I think it would have been more effective having it play out in real time. I felt manipulated after it.

As for the racial tension, I think it was pretty accurately portrayed. I'm from Houston, which is just like any other big city regarding ethnic diversity, and I've seen and heard the things that took place in Crash. I think what struck me about the way the movie handled this the most was that Haggis showed us the things that are said in secret when we are with people of our own ethnicity. Every race does it. What he's shown is a mix of off-hand, instinctive reactions based on stereotypes (which exist for a reason, though their perpetuation doesn't help the matter), and the nature of the human heart, which in times of emergency erases those lines (I think that's what happened with the Matt Dillon character).

I don't know that it's the best film I've seen this year, but it should definitely be commended for the themes it takes on, especially after the crap-filled summer we just had.

On a side note, I think it's interesting that Crash was financed by Blockbuster Ent.'s production wing, and is their most successfull film to date. I'm surprised that a corporation like that would be pushing a film this controversial.
 
what the **** what about Terance Howard amazing scene the inner turmoil on his face coming at you the hatred that you hold inside then finally exploding like kama kazi but scared as ****! stereotypical racisim come on what planet are you from.
 
crazyczech said:
Mumbo jumbo...mumble...psuedo-intellectual assertion....mumble...bitterness...grumble...paycheque...no real valid point...damn I live in Wichita.
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damn thats funny and straight to the point
 
wow. i just watched one of the best american films i've ever seen. very touching and powerful you hate them all then love them. it was a great visual and storyi impactful. loove this movie.
 
I saw this film and liked it a lot. It struck me as an 'actor's film', where the characters had strong personalities, they all had an arc, each character got at least one scene where they did something dramatic and powerful. No wonder that some pretty amazing people got cast in it, and were willing to cut they fees some.

But... it was pretty ambitious to have all those characters and storylines, and the film got a little unfocused and meandered for awhile. And the situations were a little too contrived and preachy - I kept getting hit over the head the with 'Here Is The Social Message'.

But, I heard that the film cost like $6 million, and grossed like $60 million. So clearly it touched a lot of people.
 
well, i'm really only here for one reason. and that is to boast about the prediction I made, um, about six months ago. Which is that Crash would win for Best Picture. And guess what? It did (i encourage you to go back in the thread and see for yourself). So... all you Crash haters can talk about how the academy awards don't mean anything (even though they do when the movie you want to win wins) but the truth is there are a lot of people very passionate about this movie, as was proven tonight, because it was an awesome film. Good night and good luck.
 
it was an awsome film and when I saw that movie I thought the same thing when I left the theatre, but I think in all honesty that Capote was a far greater piece of work.
 
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