Crash (the movie)

Crash (2004)
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Crash, a movie released in 2004, explores in greater detail and unique perspective the complexities labeling, discrimination and racial intolerance in the modern day America. The movie offers rare insight into the volatile meeting points of an array of multi-ethnic personalities struggling to triumph over their misguided and prejudice-based fears as they interact with one another (IMDB, 2005). This paper seeks to critically examine the movie and discuss in detail sociological perspectives that emerge in the film.
Admittedly, the issue of racism is the most common sociological concern in the movie. Different ethnicities featured in the movie, that is, the Iranians, Koreans, Latinos, black Americans and the whites are affected and their interaction defined by racism in one way or another. Evidently, individuals from different ethnicities feel resentment and prejudice against people from other ethnic groups. For instance, racial overtones are evident in Cameron’s studio where the white producer complains that one of the black actors is not sounding “black enough” merely due to his use of proper grammar; a racist view based on assumption that blacks use poor grammar. Similarly, John Ryan, an LAPD police officer, is explicitly depicted as a racist cop. The officer’s character is clearly illustrated when he executes an uncalled for traffic stop by pulling over Cameron and his wife simply because he thinks they are doing something inappropriate while driving. Driven by racial hatred and intolerance, the officer goes on to humiliate Cameron’s wife with an invasive pat-down. Additionally, racist presumptions held by the characters towards people from other ethnic groups are also apparent when the LAPD officer goes to seek medical attention for his father. At the institution, John Ryan accuses the black woman in charge of differential treatment. The officer observes that his sickly father’s contribution to the nation deserves recognition and he goes on to demand for special treatment. Nevertheless, the officer is visibly overcome and frustrated by the fact that he cannot assist his sickly father and therefore seizes the ethnicity of the health worker to vent his anger and deep seated racial hatred (IMDB, 2005).
Undoubtedly, race based labeling is also evident in the movie. Several characters in the movie are labeled based on misconceptions held by those they are interacting with. For instance, Farhad, an Iranian store-owner, is mistaken for an Arab simply because of his physical appearance, ...