A Journey to Hope. Welcome to all of the participating countries!: Crash

Technical information about the film

Title: Crash
Original title: Crash
Year: 2004

Produced in: U.S.A., Germany

Language: English, Spanish, Persian, Mandarin Chinese, Korean
Director: Paul Haggis
Scriptwriter: Screenplay: Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco. Story: Paul Haggis
Music: Mark Isham
Photography: J. Michael Muro
Editing: Huges Winborne
Length: 112 minutes

Main actresses and actors and the names of their characters

Actor	Character
Sandra Bullock	Jean Cabot
Matt Dillon	Officer John Ryan
Don Cheadle	Graham Waters
Jennifer Esposito	Ria
Brendan Fraser	Rick Cabot
Terrence Howard	Cameron Thayer
Ludacris	Anthony
Thandie Newton	Christine Thayer
Ryan Philippe	Officer Tommy Hansen
Larentz Tate	Peter Waters
Michael Peña	Daniel Ruiz

Awards

· Three Oscars in 2006 (nominated for six): Best Achievement in Editing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing - Original Screenplay.

· Nominated for six awards in the 78th Academy Awards (2005) - won three of them, including a win for Best Picture

· Nominated for two Golden Globe Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon) and the other for Best Screenplay (Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco)

· Best Ensemble Cast at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards

· Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2005

· Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Newton) at the BAFTA Awards

· Best Writer at the Critics' Choice Awards

· Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role (Howard) at the Black Movie Awards

· Best First Feature and Best Supporting Male (Dillon) at the Independent Spirit Awards

· Best Acting Ensemble and Best Writer at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

· Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Howard) and Outstanding Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.

· 41 wins & 66 nominations except for the Oscars – some of them listed above

About the Director

The director Paul Haggis adapted the script for Million Dollar Baby and made his feature film directorial debut with Crash. Over the years, the Emmy-winning writer for such series as thirtysomething, L.A. Law, and EZ Streets has fined tuned his craft as evidenced in this morally rich, nuanced, and poignant drama set in Los Angeles where he has lived for more than 25 years. "My aim with this film," Haggis has written, "is to explore how intolerance is a collective problem. I did not set out to offend or ignite controversy, but to look at many different people, each with his or her unique perspective. Film enables us to walk, however briefly, in the shoes of strangers. In that sense, I hope that Crash succeeds not so much in pointing out differences, but in recognizing our shared humanity." We would add that the film is also about the incivility and conflict that result from living in a fear-based society, where strangers are treated as potential enemies or combatants. (From a film review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Comments on the film Crash

Crash focuses on some of the most fundamental issues in life, but specifically of multicultural societies. The film addresses themes of prejudice, stereotyping, and racism and the accompanying issues of human trafficking and criminality. It also deals with the universal themes of loneliness, helplessness, despair, miscommunication, chaos, chance and love—between parent and child, between neighbours, and between man and woman. The director challenges the audience's prejudices through provocative situations and dialogue only to confirm their preconceptions, but in the light of a complex reality. We see the dangers of judging others and how it is not only wrong and unfair towards that person alone, but towards a whole group of people who are not as homogenous as one may think. Further we are shown how acting on prejudices may again lead to even bigger wrongs in society and become that much more difficult to deal with.

The microcosmic setting of Los Angeles is analogous to any multicultural society; it can even serve as a metaphor for the world as a whole. Crash is a collage of separate, parallel yet interwoven stories (much like such films as The Other Side, Babel, Shortcuts, Magnolia and Happiness). We meet very different types of people from all over the world living together. We gradually get to know the characters and how they feel and react to their surroundings. As we watch them develop we notice that no one is perfect and no one is completely undeserving of our sympathy.

It is a film made for discussion. As a crime-thriller and a drama the film is disturbing without being exploitive (It does have some violence and sexual content.). One of its greatest strengths is its lack of political correctness in its treatment of the theme. Crash does not direct the viewer too much or offer a solution but contains open ends and subtle hints that allow us to raise our own questions in our own way. It gives us a place to start a dialogue and it is a strong piece of fiction which the students will remember well.

Sources

The script itself

http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Crash.pdf

Official Site

http://www.crashfilm.com/

The International Movie Database

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(2004_film)#Awards

Allmovie

http://www.allmovie.com/work/301205

Film Review