Friday, May 23, 2014
Crash - Ghost Narratives
"In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass," Graham muses after a car crash. "It's the sense of touch. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something."
The film shows several intense conflicts among strangers within a 24 hour period in the city of LA; the individuals are ghosts to each other within a shared urban space. How does the urban landscape contribute the creation of "ghosts" within a shared environment? How might that space or frequency of experiences affect a person’s view of the world and others? Be sure to cite characters, their roles, and specific scenes from the movie to develop and support your claims and warrants.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In a densely populated city such as LA, it is easy to get lost in the midst of so much commotion. In "Crash," an urban setting disables people from developing a sense of community, and instead encourages them to divide into racial, socioeconomic, and age groups. In the beginning of the movie, Ludacris comments on the stereotypes cast on two black men walking in a street full of white people, but proceeds to fill those stereotypes by pointing a gun at a white couple and taking their car. In a city that pushes people away from each other, loneliness becomes a driving emotion, and thus the concept of "ghosts" is established. However, in Ludacris' case, when ghosts become overcrowded, tension builds to the point of a drastic action, such as racial fights, abuses, and slander. Resulting from this lack of communication within a community, prejudices are created and expanded, shaping people's views of the world around them. "Ghosts" are a manifestation of this judgement, and consequentially construct the people and city they inhabit.
ReplyDeleteMolly, you did very well making your argument. I agree with you that the ghosts are truly a manifestation of the judgement individuals put on each other but at the same time, them being considered "ghosts" can simply be the fact that these people do not know each other on a personal level which explains why there would be judgment inflicted into the situation.
DeleteMolly, the scene you chose to describe contributed a lot to your response. You used it really well and explained how the stereotypes made the scene so significant. Also, the tie-in to loneliness as a factor of "ghosts" adds a lot to the aim of your response.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLA, where the movie "Crash" takes place, has many examples of "ghosts" in its densely populated area. The scene with the black movie director who is approached by the white screenwriter is a perfect example of how these "ghosts" are created. When the director is approached about the certain "way" a black character was meant to say the line and did not do, he is forced into a position that dis-empowers him as an individual. This is not because the screenwriter is white and the director black, but rather because the director ended up redoing the scene with the character saying the phrase "more black." The ghost in this situation is the director's loss of self. His choice to back down and give in to the stereotypes that are made prevalent in the movie are what leaves him as a ghost. His loses his depth as a person and is not shown to be the solid, determined person that someone in his position had to be in this situation. Then, the high population just finishes the job as he just blends in as another face in the crowd of moving people.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your statement about how people enforce the racial stereotypes, even when they are the ones being targeted. It was interesting how you used the black director as an example and I feel you used it successfully. I like the idea of how enforcing the stereotypes makes a person lose depth. Good job!!
DeleteNoah, i totally agree with you. i also put the example you gave in my response saying that "The director is going based on stereotypes imposed on racial groups instead of putting his own ideas into his work." which is similar to what you said about the directors loss of self. Good response!
Delete"Crash" is a great example about how a vast, urban area diminishes a sense of community and identity. There are a bunch of predisposed ideas about who people are, and when that is mixed with a lot of different cultures and ethnicities, it is easy to fall victim to the stereotypes. Officer Tom Hansen, played by Ryan Phillippe, is a prime example of how people have subconscious labels. Hansen has a silent protest against how Officer John Ryan, played by Matt Dillion, profiles a darker couples because they were riding in a car suspected of being stolen. Instead of yelling at Ryan to stop, Hansen requests a new car due to flatulence. Later that night, Hansen is coming home from work and picks up Peter Waters, played by Larenz Tate. Waters says something that Hansen takes as offensive, so heated argument takes place. Assuming Waters was going to take out a gun, Hansen shoots Waters in defense, however Waters only was going to show a statue. Even though Hansen's stereotypes are not prevalent in his words, they reveal themselves in his actions. With the stereotypes Hansen holds, he loses his own sense of values, resulting him becoming a ghost.
ReplyDeleteI agree, large cities do establish a sense disconnect within a community. I like the example from the movie, you did a really thorough job with the response, I have similar ideologies about the movie.
DeleteYes, I love the scene you chose to analyze. I think that many stereotypes in the movie are very outward and blunt but Hansen showed another side of the people of L.A and how although he never said anything he stereotyped Waters.
DeleteIn the movie Crash, the setting contributes to the creation of ghosts since in a small town where everyone knows each other there is a theme and sense of community and togetherness. However, in a densely populated city like Los Angeles, there is disconnect in the community to the extent where individuals rely on stereotypes and other prejudices to define certain people which results to the several intense conflicts within the movie. The settings of Los Angeles like Chicago and New York is densely populated which causes individuals to relate and befriend those who are culturally and ethnically similar which makes reason for why these large cities are deeply segregated. These largely populated cities cause ghosts within the environments due to the reliance of stereotypes, since one cannot know each individual personally like in a smaller community. At the same time, within a large city one can only rely on stereotypes to define and evaluate other peoples due to the fact that one does not know another persons intent or motive so when coming across a ghost using these stereotypes can determine the level of threat one may have on another. This is expressed in one scenario where a white couple comes across a pair of black college students. The white woman clinged to her husband for a sense of security and comfort from the alleged threatening black friends as she use the prejudgment of how most black teen are gangbangers and threatening to evaluate the two black men. When the black guy with the braids notices the use of prejudice to evaluate him and his friend he goes on to say to his friend, “ Do we look like gangbangers? Why are they intimidated by us?” (Crash Movie). Contradicting, the two armed robbed the couple of their car and drive off leaving them both emotionally and mentally scared. The frequency of these situations experienced by individuals or heard of on social media like the news, affects an individual perspective on certain peoples. If people experience and hear about black gangs and black violence, the perspective of black people will be negative. In the movie Crash and in the real world, large cities create a sense of disconnect in the togetherness within an environment which causes the frequency of ghosts between different individuals. Also, stereotypes and prejudices based on experiences and information heard from social media affects an individual’s perspective on certain peoples, which ultimately leads to conflict within large cities like Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteMalakye, I completely agree with your interpretation of what constitutes a "ghost".I think you did a very good job with your analysis with some minor gramatical errors,but I don't feel they are very noticed with such tremendous content.
Delete-Laurice Skinner
i really like how you brought up other big cities like Chicago and New York to show how they just like LA make people seem unknown and out of place as if they don't exist which i think is a really good thing to show that this exist in other large cities.
DeleteI really liked your analysis; you did an excellent job of answering all the parts of the question, and an excellent job of relating the question to other big cities in the U.S.A., and it made the response more applicable. Although it was long, i liked how you decided to show examples and evidence to define the term "ghost" rather than giving a strict and controversial definition
DeleteIn "Crash", the urban landscape of L. A. provides the fast-paced, lively environment the characters reside in. With such an environment comes the busy, overworked lives of many individuals. Though ignorance is not always the intention, because everyone is so busy or simply don't care, they disregard the importance of people they don't know. As Ludicrous and his partner-in-crime walk into a scene, they mention how fellow African-Americans are the ones being oppressed in society. As they are doing so, a white woman played by Sandra Bullock walks by, giving the two African-American men a grim look, assumed to have been a look indicating disregard and possibly racism. Minutes later, the men contradict their beliefs as they highjack Sandra and her husband's vehicle. She is someone who comes from a house of prestige and from her earlier reaction to the African-Americans, she does not believe they are equal to her. She does not know these individuals and mentally subjects them to belonging to a lower class. People become "ghosts" in an urban environment as a result of judgement and ignorance towards others. They distance themselves from other people thinking "this person has nothing to do with me so therefore, I should have nothing to do with them". The cycle continues until an individual chooses to close the gaps, get rid of the distance, and respectfully acknowledge others within their community.
ReplyDeleteSosna, I really appreciate your definition of a ghost as a projected idea of an individual due to ignorance. In an urban space, individuals become so jaded to the presence of other individuals that they stop trying to learn about their surroundings and instead retreat into their own notions of the world around them. Both the individuals being subjected to ignorant judgement and the individuals passing judgement on others become trapped in their own perceptions of the world, effectively removing them from reality and making them into "ghosts."
DeleteCarolina Vallin
DeleteI agree with Jessica on your defintion of a a ghost, but I wondered if you could explain what you meant by the two men contradicting their beliefs when they hijack the car. What were those beliefs?
Crash set in an urban setting allows the creation of “ghosts” because since it is set in a busy place everyone loses their true identity in the commotion of it all. In the urban setting everyone separated themselves based on race, economic status etc. The black people were in one part of the city while downtown was mostly all whites. An example of the "ghosts" was when the director says the black character was not suppose to say the line in a "white way" but rather how a "black person would say it". The director is going based on stereotypes imposed on racial groups instead of putting his own ideas into his work. He has been corrupted by societies thoughts and has turned into a "ghost". The same cycle happens with other racial groups/characters in the film. They go based off of stereotypes imposed on others or even themselves instead of trying to go past the stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis, racism is cyclic and will not be terminated until individuals learn to take time to get to know others and not rely on stereotypes. Great scene! It tied in with your arguement perfectly!
DeleteI think that it's interesting how you combined the idea of ghosts and stereotypes, because the movie shows that they are linked concepts that affect each other equally. Each person's ignorance (or "ghost"-like attitude) to their fellow citizens causes them to rely on stereotypes to construct each others' identities. Likewise, The reason each character is a ghost to the other, is because their perceived notion of one another is based off of an illusion or stereotype.
DeleteI like your example and how you were able to connect that to how people can become "ghosts" in a place like L.A. There is a cycle between racial groups and never seems to stop.
DeleteIn the movie “Crash” set in the busy post 9-11 L.A. “ghosts” of many ethnicities are formed throughout all walks of life. L.A ‘s rushed environment smothers these “ghosts” sense of self and acclaims a sense of power over the minority groups unconsciously. For Instance, Ludacris in the movie proceeds to tell his other black friend about how the white elite perceives them. He first says whites are scared of black people because they perceive them to be “thugs” and then he says the windows on the buses are there to humiliate minorities. However Ludacris dumbs down to these stereotypes and robs white people and at the end of the movie rides the bus ultimately conforming to the elite he speaks of in L.A. This white supremacy is also seen where the african american movie producer makes the actor talk “more black” because he is told to do so, and when the white cops are allowed police brutality and never get questioned. L.A’s environment also turns minorities against each other. This is shown in the seen where the Latin American man fixes the Iranian immigrant lock but the Iranian sees him as a cheater. These “ghosts” are created through stereotypes and the wanting of acceptance for a better life , inflicted by an environment such as the one in Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteI agree; I really like the examples from the movie you included about minorities conforming to stereotypes. In an urban environment, it is easy for these stereotypes to form and continue to grow because of the lack of personal interaction among a city's residents. This isolation and prejudice that grow within LA's inhabitants is what makes them "ghosts;" they are focused inward, unaware of others. Your response does an excellent job illustrating this concept.
DeleteI agree that "ghosts" are created through stereotypes because their race as a whole is being judged, not just the individual. You used great evidence and I like that you included the 9-11 context.
Delete"Crash" presents the intertwined narratives of multiple strangers living in the complex urban "jungle" of Los Angeles. The city's bustle, congestion, and diversity reflect the individual characters in the movie, as each character is presented through multiple traumatic events. The complex characters in "Crash" ultimately serve to provide a new definition of a ghost: an individual that is neither entirely good or entirely bad, and thus hard to define or categorize. For example, Office Tom Hansen is first portrayed as a bystander, silently condemning but not doing anything to intervene when his partner, Officer Ryan, sexually assaults a woman. He is later shown heroically preventing an African American man from risking his life. One of the last events in Hansen's story line shows him murdering an innocent African American in a car. Hansen embodies the concept of a "hero," a "villain," and a "bystander" at some point in the movie in reaction to a certain situation. Hansen, as well as other characters in the film, are not able to be classified as one archetype. Since each character refuses to be categorized by a definitive label, they all embody the ambiguous concept of a "ghost," reflecting the human need to categorize, analyze, and sort individuals into preconceived ideas of what a person should be. The frequency of events each character faces reflects the frequency of trials and triumph in each individual's life, showing that each of us is ultimately a ghost: not entirely good, not entirely bad, and hard to define.
ReplyDeleteLuis Alamanza
DeleteThe use of "ghosts", and presenting them in such a way that they are never bad nor good and blur of a definition create a context for which is used to later evaluate your augment. However, ghost cannot change or impact society for they are "invisible". Therefore, how can ghosts be signifgant, but you could allude to ghosts guiding the conscious. Overall very well done and great analysis and defining of a ghost an the use of the landscape referred to as the "urban jungle".
Jessica, I really enjoyed reading your response, nicely done! I was most interested in the character that you chose to describe as a “ghost.” It was fascinating to read your description of Officer Tom Hansen, you mention that he demonstrated qualities of a bystander, a hero, and a villain; therefore making him a “ghost.” What makes your analysis stand out is the fact that you did not choose a person of color, specifically an immigrant similar to our discussions of The Woman Warrior, instead you chose a white man of authority. I think it is ironic how even the people of authority, as we have seen in The Great Gatsby, are caught up in an urban landscape, and later seen as “ghosts.”
DeleteCrash is a movie that brings out racial stereotypes. The diverse setting of L.A. brings out racial, cultural, social, etc. differences that separate one race from another. In the movie whites are superior to other minorities such as blacks, and latinos. Stereotypes are imposed on people throughout the movie. For example, the two black men who steal the car are labeled as thugs and criminals, and the Latino man fixing the door is labeled as a gangbanger for his tattoos; however, that is not the case. Just because one Latino is a gangbanger does not mean that all of them are. There should not be a certain label imposed on all the people of a specific race and/or ethnicity. These minorities are "ghosts" because they are not looked at as individuals but rather as a group. The stereotypes and misconceptions that away from a person's individuality.
ReplyDeleteDiana I agree with how you explain that one individual is looked upon as a group thus resulting in these racial prejudices. In a place like L.A. where there are many different types of ethnicity, these stereotypes simply can not be avoided due to the instilled fear put on them by groups superior to them. This creates the identity of being a "ghost" in a society where no one sees an individual as solely that but as what other groups want to see.
DeleteI agree with you and how the idea that because of one's experience with a certain person the whole race of the person is looked at in the same way
DeleteI agree with how you explain that ghosts are seen as a group rather than an individual and how it takes away individuality. Really good job!
DeleteLuis Almanza Jr.
ReplyDeleteEnglish Period 8
In "Crash", Paul Haggis presents a story which provides a social construct that disembodies humanistic characteristics. The characters Haggis creates are all mirrored to each other in how they define and defy stereotypes. Officer Tom, although yearning to defy such hideous stereotypes set by Officer Ryan, the racist cop persona. nearly becomes another example when he shoots an innocent Black man who which he assumed had a weapon. This creates Tom to become another statistic, crating a illusion that he is a ghost in being stripped of his identity and becoming just another "racist"cop. Although in a densely populated location in which the story resides in, each main character is a mirror in each other for how they represent stereotypes and become the stereotypes, becoming just a single name or image and each predetermined, defined and actions predictable. Though each character is not stagnant and do not remain ghosts each character either breaks or inserts themselves from being ghosts, which only a immense community could allow. The immense allows personalities to become morphed and single word adjectives describe groups creating stereotypes . Though being a metaphorical ghosts no good or significance could be acquired as similarly Tom can make a difference but the "racist cop" never will.
I am not sure what you are trying to say. I do not understand how the characters are mirrors of one another. Or are you giving the only instance in which Tom mirrors his partner Officer Ryan? However, I do agree that the "ghosts" are labeled because they lack personality.
DeleteI think what also made your response a bit confusing was your grammar. Maybe you can better explain your argument to me verbally in class tomorrow.
Laurice Skinner
ReplyDeletePeriod 8th
In “Crash”, a movie that takes places in the urban and highly populated area of Los Angeles, individuals of different backgrounds and cultures struggle to develop of sense of community as well as self. The urban environment of L.A encourages individuals to divide amongst cultural groups causing the creation of “ghosts”. In the movie individuals who seem to be strangers are intertwined by traumatic experiences. Each of the situations beginning with them all holding the notion in their mind that they know exactly what the person they come across is. In the beginning of the movie, Farhad is purchasing a gun for the safety of his store which had recently been robbed while his daughter was translating for him when the owner had become extremely agitated and makes a racist remark towards Farhad. Los Angeles is a huge city, it’s very unlikely to find such an urban area resembling a small community in which everyone actually knows everyone. In such a great place it is unrealistic to think that an individual will take the time to know each person they encounter instead of labeling them into a category of how they think that person acts. Farhad is not Arabian as the store owner said and is offended by his comment and feels cheated. Afterwards he has the locks changed The Hispanic male who came to fix the locks attempted to explain to the man that it was the door which needs to be replaced, and Farhad responds with anger due to his previous negative experience. Shortly after his store is trashed and the insurance refuses to pay for the damages because they feel it was due to negligence. Farhad was outraged with this and sought out the man who fixed the locks and accidently shoots his daughter who was not injured. After this Farhad reflects on his actions and sees he was wrong. In an area so urban such as L.A individuals become “ghosts” due to the lack of unity and compassion for one another. The urban area creates a divide which disconnects individuals from their sense of self as well as others, creating a “ghost” who “...waits silently by the water to pull down a substitute.” (Kingston 5).The content of such frequent experiences hold a significant impact on that individuals actions in the future. Continuous negative experiences with those unlike yourself cause the individual to become ignorant of others.
Laurice, I really like your response. Very well written and clear. The character and scenarios you chose help frame your definition of what a ghost is. I like that you showed how initially Farhad had no racial prejudice but after his first experience with discrimination he was led to believe everyone was against him. Amazing job.
DeleteIn the movie Crash the contribution of the seclusion of certain groups or biased towards cultures and people is based upon the city and how big it is. In the movie Officer John Ryan, played by Matt Dillon, tells Officer Tom Hansen , played by Ryan Phillippe, that he has been a police officer for a long time and that, that's why he acts the way he does when being subtlety threatened by his racial discrimination by Officer Hansen. This is due to the fact that L.A. is a big city and that meeting alot of different people and coming into conflict with alot of different people, Officer Ryan might have came into conflict with one or a couple of bad people and that could have stayed in his conscious and is the reason why he is biased to the couple driving. Because being exposed to a couple of people of the same race in a bad manner leaves biased on Officer Ryan he discriminates on that group and is biased toward the people.
ReplyDeleteCarolina Vallin
ReplyDelete“Crash” a movie set in the urban city of Las Angeles, allows its character to become “ghosts” by becoming the stereotypes imposed on them by strangers. Jean Cabot, played by Sandra Bullock, is judged as a privileged, white female who judges minority groups based on their appearances. Through her maid, Maria, Jean enforces this judgment when she displays her disapproval at her maid’s hard work. Jean Cabot makes her own judgment on Anthony, played by Ludacris, when she shies away from him and his friend on the street; she thinks of the two men as thugs and gangbangers because of their appearance and race. Instead of defying this metaphorical jacket, Anthony and Peter embrace it by carjacking the Cabots at gunpoint. Through their action, people become mere “ghosts” with no slef-set morals and original belief system when they accept, embrace, and enforce the predetermined image constructed by their densely populated environment that does not allow for individualistic views.
I like your response. Very clearly written. However, I disagree with your use of ghosts. I don't think the ghosts in an urban environment have no morals of belief systems. They do have their own beliefs. When they come into contact with strangers, or what I think are ghosts, they lose their sense of understanding because these people are different. When there is no personal awareness, their interaction becomes based on vague stereotypes since it's the only thing they know. Jean judged the strange black man, and her maid on their race because she had no other information about them other than their appearance.
DeleteIn the movie “Crash”, people of different races and age groups are shown to represent how individuals cause other people to become “ghosts” by stereotyping people within a certain race. When Daniel, played by Michael Pena, fixed the lock at Jean’s, played by Sandra Bullock, house, she tells her husband she wants the lock redone again in the morning. Seeing that Daniel is a Latino, Jean develops the stereotype that just because he is Latino and knows what the key for the lock is, he will rob her house. Jean diminishes his sense of identity by generalizing him as everyone else in the movie does when they have conflicts with people of different races. When in a populated area with many different cultures, it is easier to conform to the stereotypes given rather than proving people wrong; thus, creating a bigger space to become the “ghosts” of America.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, you did a great job with supporting your argument with that example of the movie. I especially like how you said that "Jean diminishes his sense of identity by generalizing him as everyone else..." Your last sentence was also effective because of the way you explained how there was more room to have "ghosts' in America by the stereotypes.
DeleteIn the movie "Crash" the characters are set up as socially conscious people yet they either defy that place in society or they support it with their actions. At the beginning of the movie two African-American men are walking down a street where there are mainly white people. As they're walking they discuss the stereotypes and generalization made towards their race and how they are unfair and objectifying. However, as they talk about this, they hold two white people up to gun point and steal their car. In this scene, the idea of ghosts is portrayed through the fulfillment of stereotypes. They are not their own person rather than a shadow living amongst other shadows trying to find themselves. Even in the densely populated city of Los Angeles, people aimlessly walk around trying to find themselves. They're walking ghosts trying to be fulfilled. Just as Larenz Tate and Ludacris aimlessly walk around trying to fulfill themselves, others try to find their individuality.
ReplyDeleteAngelica, the way you describe how individuals in urban settings become shadows really helps me understand the concept of ghosts and also makes your argument solid. Isn't it ironic how, in a city that exudes diversity and culture, people are still trying to find themselves? Anyhow, keep up the great work!
DeleteThe movie "Crash" expresses the lack of community seen in highly populated urban areas. This relates to Jordan Baker's observation in "The Great Gatsby" when she says "small parties are so public" while "large parties are so private." In a "small party," or small town, everyone has the chance to know one another and address them as a person. People in large cities are to busy learn about other cultures and lifestyles. "Crash" shows how ignorance plays a role in racism. After falling victim to a car-jacking Jean Cabot, played by Sandra Bullock, accuses her Hispanic locksmith of being a gang member. She bases this assumption on one interaction she had with the two African-American men who robbed her. Because her experience is limited with minorities, and what she believes to be true about minorities is hearsay, Jean Cabot racially discriminates against all African-Americans and Hispanics.
ReplyDeleteTeya, wonderful job. This is one of your best posts I've read thus far. The way you connected "Crash" and the lack of community to "The Great Gatsby" is absolutely wonderful. You have clearly and concisely answered the prompt in a wonderful way. I agree 100% with what you argue. Especially with your connection between "The Great Gatsby" and the community portrayed in "Crash" Beautiful job Teya.
DeleteIn the movie "Crash" Racial stereotypes are brought out and placed on each of the races in such a diverse community as L.A.. For example, the Latino man who is judged, by the superior white women, because he has "prison" tattoos and is therefore considered a low life gangbanger; however, he's simply being judged by the stereotypes created by the "superior race" and not for his individuality. Because of this jacket that is put on each person of color they become the concept of a ghost because they are not seen as individual people but rather as a group of identical, foreign aliens; they are misunderstood and misconceived thus stripping away their individuality making them become ghosts.
ReplyDeleteI like that you made a connections between individuality and the "ghosts" created. By grouping many people together there is a sense of significance lost and in Michael Pena's case, Bullock (the superior white woman) was not interested in the role he had in someone else's life other than her own.
DeleteSarah, I like your response. It's very clearly written and like how you connected the idea of the "jacket" being placed on each character in this because there's no better way to describe it than the metaphorical jacket we learned about earlier this year. Good job.
DeleteSarah, I completely agree with your response. I like how you incorporated the actual definition of a "ghost" into your response so that the overall analysis was very clear and easy to follow. Good job!
DeleteAdriana Amador
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
In the movie “Crash” the large, urban landscape is the reason for a lack of connection amongst the many characters that they crave, thus, creating “ghosts”. The beginning scene involves Sandra Bullock and two black men, whom prior to Bullock glancing at them are discussing the racial profiles that society has placed on them. Ludacris mentions that he and his friend should be scared surrounded by nothing but white people, however, contradicts this when he robs Bullock’s and her husband’s car. This contradiction is created from the lack of awareness and inexperience that the large city offers, which none of the characters are eager to change. Ludacris fulfills the stereotypical role that is placed on him and Bullock feeds into this preconceived stereotype of him, doing nothing except maintaining distance between not just these two groups (black/white, the robbers/the robbed) but amongst all groups. The people within "Crash" are all trying to gain that sense of touch that "they miss so much", but in the process struggle because they lack the knowledge of how to properly communicate amongst each other.
I agree with what you are mostly saying, however is it that there is a lack of experience or more so a lack of understanding and education about one another's differences. It is human nature where we fear the unknown and it is very much reflected in this film, we don't know anything about our fellow man, therefore we fear him/her.
DeleteIn the movie “Crash”, the collision of different ethnic groups, classes, ideologies, and age groups is exposed in the urban city of Los Angeles. This heavily populated area consists of very overworked and busy individuals who do not educate themselves in order to construct fair judgments about individuals. Our society often innocently creates and perpetuates stereotypes, causing a cycle in which individuals remain ignorant and become “ghosts”. The first white characters that are introduced are Jean and Rick Cabot, an L.A. District Attorney and his wife. These are appealing, confident characters whose social status is evident at first sight. Jean grabs her husbands arm upon seeing two young black men in the street and Anthony, played by Ludacris, notes she is a usual racist white woman for expressing her fright in such a safe place. Anthony goes on to steal her car. In a sense, the director demonstrates Jeans racism by having her clutch her husband for security, but goes on to right her decision when the black men actualize her fears. This validates the oblivious cycle of racism and stereotypes. Due to the lack of unity and respect for one another, crowded regions like L.A. become filled with “ghosts” instead of humane and moralistic individuals.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, I found your statement regarding how people became ghosts pretty interesting. The fact that ignorance could turn people into ghosts wasn't something I had previously considered and I think it could become a major factor. After all, if you're ignorant about the way your society works you'll eventually be swept under the rug and forgotten about when you're grouped together with others. Good job.
DeleteIn the movie “Crash” directed by Paul Haggis, a handful of people’s lives intertwine as the film progresses. As the film progresses one way or another, whatever one individual does effects another individual in a certain shape or form. To one another, they are just citizens bypassing one another in their daily live, with no second thought about who they are affecting because of their action, which creates ghosts within their shared urban environment. However, as the progression of the film continues, we find these ghosts becoming visual to the various key players. The main factor contributing to the conflict within the film is racial stereotypes, and fulfilment of these roles and stereotypes. Each character plays the racial card for either their benefit or for the use of discrediting another individual of a different race. The white district attorney uses race in his politics. His wife, who is also white, uses race to justify the actions of non-white individuals and as a fulfilment of stereotypes, as is reflected through her being car jacked by two black men whom she had a “bad feeling about to begin with”. The two carjackers use their race both as a justification of their actions and as an excuse. Then we see the two police officers, one of whom is bluntly racist and abuses his authority to harass non-whites and his partner who witnessed the injustice but does nothing about it, however later in the film we find his racial values are present in his subconscious self, when he shoots the black man in his car because he is afraid that the black man is pulling a gun on him. Another example, and certainly not he last is the Hispanic locksmith, who above all is trying to keep his family, specifically his daughter, safe in what seems an unsafe world, as they moved out of an unsafe neighborhood where his daughter was traumatized by a bullet entering her bedroom window, however in this new neighborhood her father is targeted by a Persian shopkeeper and the daughter is almost a victim.
ReplyDeleteGhosts are vague apparitions. In the movie “Crash,” perceptions based on personal background function as social unconsciousness in an urban environment. The white woman played by Sandra Bullock unconsciously considered black men walking down the street a threat. She only saw them briefly, like a ghost, and made a stereotype based on what she saw- race. Later, when the black men justify her stereotype by robbing her car, her judgments become truth. Her interaction with the nameless black men affected her later perception of individuals of a non-white race. She accuses the Hispanic fixing her door as a man in a gang. She also belittles her Hispanic maid. However, these Hispanics she judged were opposite of what she thought they were. In an urban environment, people are treated as ghosts. They become only what people perceive them to be. With many people living in an urban environment, it is hard to develop an understanding of the people around them. Consequently, when interaction does occur, it become that individual’s thought consciousness. When there is little understanding of those around them, like in an urban environment, people create ghostlike images of the people around them. Seeing one thing but it usually being the other.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- I think this is very well written. I completely agree with your interpretation and think your belief on what defines a "ghost" is well thought out and fits the situations presented in the movie. Great job!
DeleteIn the movie "Crash", characters are grouped and stereotyped by social status and race. In the movie, Jean Cabot, portrayed by Sandra Bullock, passes judgment on her hardworking maid and two young African Americans on the street. Rather than stand up to these stereotypical judgments, her maid continues to work without complaint and the two young black men accept the title and choose to steal her car. Situations such as this one, where people choose to accept the jackets they were born into, is what leads to "ghosts" in a city as populated as Los Angeles. People begin to find shaking society's set standards too difficult and choose to conform to the ways people expect them too. Ghosts are the people who choose not to stand up for themselves and let people pass judgment on the color of their skin of their place in society, rather than the individual they are.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the way you said how ghosts are the people who choose not to stand up and instead put on the jackets people passed to them. I also feel that ghosts are the people who're unable to understand the people they encounter, the people around them, or even themselves in particular. When too many non-understanding people come together, they begin to mis-understand each other. Therefore, there's a shift in the victim-villain role which covers up their individuality.
DeleteIn the urban city of Los Angelos, racial diversity causes racism, which results in people judging each other based on their skin color/race and never taking the time to know each other. Their circumstances and fear makes them a victim of environment but the same fear pushes them to take on the role of the perpetrator. In “Crash”, several characters intertwine within 24 hours, each with their own background story, the accusations and humiliation they face, and their responses to the events they faced. Towards the beginning of the movie, two black guys were seen walking down the street. Their conversation centers around how they felt, being the only black guys in a place full of white people. The white lady and her husband walking down the streets stared at them as if their skin color’s already labeled them as “dangerous.” Here, the concept of ghosts can be seen. The two black men was unable to fit into a place full of people that are unwilling to actually get to know them before jumping to conclusions about their characters. As they felt that they’re already cast out, they fulfill the fears of the white women by pointing a gun to her head and stealing her car. Another role of ghost is the white police men, Matt Dillon, who abuses his powers as a cop and victimizers others. However, when it comes to his sickly father, he is powerless to help. This rage lead him to sexually harass a black TV-Director’s light-skinned wife. Ironically, he was caught in an accident and caught himself having to save the wife of the TV-Director. Through intertwining events, the characters are able to see the consequences of judging based on stereotypes, and when they learn from their mistakes, it helps them grow as people, away from the “ghost” that they created.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie "Crash", the urban setting of highly populated and fast paced L.A. conceives an environment of social and cultural bias. The industrialization and size of a big city results in residents of various cultural backgrounds sticking together, as opposed to diversifying the city. The cultural bias and lack of diversity is what essentially creates "ghosts" and ultimately produces the controversial situations within the film. One of the main examples of cultural bias in the film are racial profiling and stereotyping. When the convenience store of the Persian family gets broken into, the intruders spray painted the walls, insulting what they believed to be an "Arab" people. However, the family was Persian not Arab, and the intruders were simply profiling based off of their own biases. Additionally, Sandra Bullock's character makes a blatant stereotype of Latinos when she accuses her locksmith of being in a gang simply because she saw that he had tattoos. Because of her profiling, she is implying that all Latinos with tattoos are affiliated with gangs, which is not true at all. Thus, this "ghost" is spawned from all of the negative bias and stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your response and I also believe that "ghosts" are mainly spawned from negative bias and stereotypes since people want to distance themselves from what they think is negative.
DeleteIn a vast, densely populated city like LA, the urban setting diminishes the sense of identity in individuals, resulting in internalized racism and stereotyping based solely on a person’s ethnicity and economic background. At a point in the movie “Crash” we are introduced to a relatively wealthy white couple who throughout various portions of the film interact with select people of color. It is immediately made clear that the couple see them as lesser beings (gang-bangers, thugs, the help) instead of actual people. For example, when the couple where walking to their car after dinner, they spot two young black men. Their immediate reaction is fear (the woman clings to the man’s arm and clutches her purse, the man looks weary) despite their actions being justified by the eventual carjacking of their SUV, they take this violence as a sign that they are in fact in the right and thus proceed to belittle the Latino man working to change their locks. By categorizing these people, they become faceless in a way, ghosts if you will. Their potential is stripped away and they are left to live in the manner forced upon them by society.
ReplyDeleteIn “Crash”, the characters in the tight L.A. environment are continuously moving in attempt to fulfill all of their own goals. The chaos each character feels from the enclosed space, makes others’ lives irrelevant to them in the shared hectic surroundings. This is how the characters become “ghosts” (or ignorant) of each other, and proceed to “crash” into each other’s dreams as a result. An example of the crowded space in L.A. is when Anthony and Peter steal a car, in order to compete for and maintain a job. However, the pressure they feel to complete this task for their own lives causes them to carelessly run over a Chinese man, and ruin his. Another example of the tight L.A. environment is shown when Officer Ryan talks of how his father lost his job, from competition in a racial law. Ryan’s personal anger causes him to be racist and disrespectful to a black health worker, without thinking of her feelings. The uncaring attitude that all characters establish towards one another cause a cycle of prejudice, disrespect, and violence within the movie. The cycle is never stopped because each character does not stop trying to fulfill their own goals, in attempt to understand the situation of the other.
ReplyDeleteIn "Crash," all the characters seem to use stereotypes against each other to justify their actions. In one instance, a Latino man had confronted the clerk letting him know that in order to fix the lock he had to fix the door but that he still had to pay the bill for the lock. The clerk claimed that the Latino man was cheating him. The fact that he was Latino lead the clerk to believe that all he wanted was to gain more money out of it. In another instance Sandra Bullock, after coming back from being robbed, was paranoid and felt all her locks had to be changed. As a result, because the guy who was changing her locks was Latino and had tattoos all over she assumed he was a gangbanger. Sandra Bullock even goes on to say that the Latino man would probably take a copy of her keys and give it to one of his gangbanger friends to rob her or even kill her. Today in society, everybody is going against each other trying to prove who is better than the other when in reality everybody should be created as equal.
ReplyDeleteIliana, you did a great job of keeping a very focused topic and argument. However, you could have really pushed your analysis to help your arguments go even deeper. You should define what stereotypes are surround the locksmith as a latino man and how this contrasts with reality of his life. If you do that I think it will allow others to see how really insightful your opinion is!
DeleteIn a city such as L.A. with such a large population, it is common for the people to go unnoticed. Many of the population keep to themselves and internalize their opinions. They see each other as ghosts, they look right through one another and don't stop to think twice. In the movie Crash, we witness what happens when these individuals are forced to interact with each other and the predetermined stereotypes they have placed on each other begin to be seen to the naked eye. Within the film, it shows many conflicts being drawn out between two races. The first situation is shown when Jean and Rick Cabot, a wealthy white couple, cross paths with Peter Waters and Anthony, two African-American car thiefs. Although Jean Cabot does not yet know the mens intentions, she grabs onto her husbands arm, showing Anthony and Peter her fear from seeing them. Anthony manages to point out how so many unfair stereotypes are set on African-Americans. He continues to hold them at gunpoint and steal the Cabot's car. Another conflict brought up in the movie is when Officer John Ryan, played by Matt Dillon, pulls over an African-American couple, Terrance and Thandie Howard, because he suspects them of car theft. Things escalate and although the couple gets away with out arrest, we see a lot of discriminatory language and actions Officer Ryan directs to the African-Americans. The start of the movie lets off a very tense feeling of racial boundaries within an urban area. Yet towards the end, as these individuals continue to cross paths and work through conflict, we see a layer of racial stereotyping being shed. During the car crash in which Thandie Howard is pinned upside down in a car about to explode, Officer Ryan saves her regardless of the risk he was in. This scene proves very powerful in showing how the more two people "crash" into each other, the more accepting and understanding they become.
ReplyDeleteChloe, I thoroughly enjoyed your response. I liked how you used multiple references from the movie to help your analysis of the plot. However, I would have more thoroughly analyzed one or two events instead of listing multiple "crashes" with little analysis to back up your arguments.
Delete-Brennan
The movie, “Crash,” is a great example of how an urban landscape contributes to the creation of “ghosts” within a shared environment. With so much going on in a city, it becomes easy to conform and get lost in what surrounds you. In the movie, Sandra Bullock plays the wife of an attorney who both have been a victim of having a gun to their head while having their car stolen. It was performed by two black males causing Bullock to maintain the outlook of stereotypes put upon black “hood” males-criminals. She then goes home traumatized and sees a latino man who looks like he is affiliated with gangs changing her locks. She continues to believe that he will sell one of the keys to one of his gang friends. The character Bullock plays views this latino man as just another latino man looking down upon him as dangerous and inferior. People become ghosts in an urban environment by feeling a sense of empowerment over others. Through ignorance, they classify certain people into different rankings in a society. Some people are viewed as ‘equal to,’ ‘less than,’ and even ‘better than.’ This mindset is engraved in a society causing them all to think the same creating ghosts. They keep away from other people who are unlike them and become stuck with one mindset of what surrounds them and straying away from reality.
ReplyDeleteKelly Acevedo
DeleteNeve, I liked how you incorporated how the sense of superiority is established through racial stereotypes. However, you could have added that none of these actions were indeed true, but based on Jean's racist thoughts.
“Crash”, a movie set in the urban, densely populated city of L. A. shows that one can still be alone while surrounded by people. This densely populated city caused people to lose a sense of community. To feel this sense of community again, they create racial profiles for others and cling to the people that match their profile. The characters in ‘Crash’ like Ludacris and Larenz Tate situate themselves into stereotypes of being a black male. At the beginning of the movie while walking down the street with Larenz Tate Ludacris the stereotype that more than one black male means trouble. Ludacris proceeds to rob a white couple of their car; proving the stereotype that blacks in groups should be feared. Sandra Bullock plays a seemingly well-off, prejudice white woman that racially profiles everyone interacts with. Bullock also feels the stereotype of the typical well-off white woman, someone that is believed to be ignorant to everyone’s culture outside of her own. A common theme in large cities like L. A. and Chicago, where there are so many different cultures crowded together, people distance themselves from cultures and races that conflict with theirs because they start to lose themselves in the sea of individuals. This leads to the idea of “ghosts”, people that float from group to group, struggling to find where they belong; causing crashes” as they scramble “feel something”.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you that segregation causes people to lose the sense of identity to one another and they just become ghost to one another. I completely love that you included Chicago in your response since in Chicago like L.A and other urban areas segregation is a big problem.
DeleteRacism and its acceptance stems from people's fear of other individuals they do not know or understand. Humans have an instinctual need to know basic information about individuals around them so they can understand the dangers they face or benefits they may receive from those individuals. However, when an individual does not know basic facts about another person, they often rely on assumption and stereotypes to construct an identity for that individual. This allows people to see others as ghosts, in that they do not know the character of another individual yet make them "ghosts" by creating a sedo-reality for that individual. In the movie "Crash", characters live in close proximity to many people in an urban environment, but focus solely on themselves and individuals in their immediately area, inevitably leading to the clash of their view's with others due to ignorance. Stereotypes and racism are reinforced when they are acted upon and accepted. When Officer Ryan conducts a "weapons search" on Christine he does so in openly sexual and inappropriate manner, abusing his authority as a police officer to impose his strength over Christine. By doing so Officer Ryan attempts to assert his power as a white man over a woman of color and make both Christine and Cameron feel inferior and shameful. The incident insights rage in Christine and solidifies Officer's Ryan's feeling of superiority, but both perspectives are challenged again when Officer Ryan attempts to rescue Christine from a car crash. Christine is enraged and pushes Officer Ryan away as he tries to help her, but in contrast to their previous meeting Officer Ryan does not force Christine to submit to his action, but requests for permission to invade her personal space to unbuckle her seatbelt. That Ryan asks Christine demonstrates he respects her rights, and therefore her ability to make a choice by saying no. Ryan's previous bigoted behavior was for selfish reasons, and warped his mission as a police to "protect and serve" the citizens of his community, and therefore to reclaim this mission he must allow himself to resubmit to the authority of those he was supposed to help. Christine also is forced to confront her image of Officer Ryan as a racist "monster" and acknowledge his behavior as humane and accept his assistance in order to survive.
ReplyDeletehas affected his Officer Ryan. Perception starting at a young age and continue to evolve and change throughout an individual's life. Both individuals who maintain racist and egalitarian make assumptions about other people, and therefore cannot none can ever be absolutely true. Individuals learn to look solely at the facts they know of an individual to define how they view others, and then be able to properly flesh out the true character of a person rather than have a "ghosted" image.
The influence on the story of it taking place in a highly populated city like LA, shows throughout the movie “Crash”, how people are able to lose a personal connection with others in such a big city through all the hustle and bustle of city life. This city life instead has people turn against each other because of racism, socio-economics, and age groups thus creating a “ghost.” A great example of this is in the seen with the African American director and the white screen writer where the screen writer approaches him about the way the African American actor speaks and how he is not speaking in a “black way.” The director falls into the trap that the city life puts and conforms to that way of life when he actually goes back and does the scene over to make the actor sound “more black.” The concept of a “ghost” is brought into the situation because the director loses his pride in his African America culture and past which he allows to become a “ghost.” He allowed the white screen writer to do something that as an African American male he should have stood up and fought against but instead just gave up allowing a horrible racist act to occur. This happens all the time in the world where people allow for racist acts to occur so this situation is really quite normal and not out of the ordinary so must people accept it which makes the director seem like he did nothing wrong in order to keep his job as an African American man.
ReplyDeleteVictor Iturralde
ReplyDeleteSaldivar
Am. Lit. 8th
5.27.13
In the movie “Crash” the densely populated L.A. city, it is easy to become oblivious to the people outside of your direct community. These “ghosts” derive from a more universal “fear of the unknown”, and are the fear represented by the situations throughout the movie. The separation of neighborhoods and communities in a big city such as L.A. allow for there to be extreme prejudices among the different races, and allow for racial prejudices to be even more present throughout the collective city, as people instinctively associate people similar to them, generally through cultural and racial similarities. These communities are defined by the racial stereotypes of others, as some conform to these stereotypes even though they know that they are nothing but stereotypes. An example of this is in one of the opening scenes, where the two black males are talking about how white people they pass are scared of them because of prejudice, and asks his friend “Do we look like gang bangers? Why are they intimidated by us?”. Ironically, they decide to comply by these judgements they are quick to criticize, as they proceed to stealing the couple’s car at gunpoint. This scene provides an example of a scenario displaying the vicious cycle of racism in violence and prejudice in a densely populated city such as L.A.; in the following scene, Sandra Bullock’s character accuses her locksmith of being a thieving gang banger, just because he is a Latino with tattoos. This vicious cycle never stops throughout the movie, as it goes to show the hypocrisy and stubbornness that goes along with the racism and prejudices that are very prevalent in American society.
In "Crash" characters are judged based on appearance and social class. In the movie we are able to see how Jean Cabot, an upper class white lady judges a young brown male named Daniel who is changing her locks, after she is robbed by two black males. She goes on to state that she wants to change the locks on the door again in the morning because she does not trust Daniel and she believes he is a gang-banger who will sell the keys to her house to one of his "homies". Through this the audience sees how Daniel is victimized and judged on his appearance even though he is just an honest man trying to make a living. This shows how in this urban area certain jackets and labels are given to people and this creates "ghosts" because instead of getting to know these people, others distance themselves from these "ghosts" based on stereotypes of certain groups of people and not on the individual.
ReplyDeleteYou do not clearly explain how the urban landscape contributes to the creation of these ghosts in a shared environment. Also you state that characters are judged based on appearance and social class but then go on to describe how they are judged based on race. It is confusing and unclear whether you think its based on appearance and social class or race.
DeleteKelly Acevedo
ReplyDeleteAmerican Lit. Pd. 05
05/28/14
In Paul Haggis' "Crash," the setting in which the story takes place is that of a busy, urban L.A. The commotion in this densely, populated city makes it difficult for its residents to interact, thus creating a social barrier between people's perception of those surrounding them and their actual personalities. In other words, the residents deem themselves to be "ghosts," or apparitions in society. Racial stereotypes are present in this film as Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock), the wife of an L.A District Attorney tightly grips her husband's arm at the sight of two black males in the street. With this action, she demonstrates her racist thoughts and emotions towards the non-white people. Anthony ("Ludacris") and Peter, noticing her actions, go on to carjack her car, thus giving her a more reason to suspect of blacks. The characters within "Crash" treat each other as the "ghost" in The Woman Warrior because they simply do not know how to respect each other's cultures and further establish an unified community.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie “Crash” directed by Paul Haggis the lives of several people intertwine as the story progresses. In the movie what one character does affects another character indirectly. They see each other as just any other person and do not think of how their actions can affect others, creating ghosts inside the urban environment that they share. Throughout the movie the ghosts become visible to the main characters of the movie. Racial stereotypes is the main factor that contributes to the conflict in the movie, as well as the fulfillment of these stereotypes. Each character uses race for their own benefit or to disadvantage those of another race. The white district attorney uses race for wider political support. His wife, who is also white, uses race to explain the actions of others of different races and as a fulfillment of racial stereotypes. This is seen when after having their car stolen by two black men she states that she had a bad feeling about them as soon as she saw them. These two black men use their race as an excuse for their actions and as a justification for them. Another example where this can be seen is when one of the two white police officers uses his power as a police officer to harass people of other races. The other police office, who was once his partner, witnessed this but never did anything about it. Later he finds that he is the same as the other police officer as he thinks that a black man is going to shoot him because he reached for his pocket and immediately shot the man without giving him a chance to explain or even seeing what really was in his pocket, which was just a statue.
ReplyDeleteWhether you live in Los Angeles or in Tokyo, you don’t recognize people you don’t know. If you don’t know a person on the train, you probably won’t start a conversation with them. This is because from a young age most people are taught to keep to themselves and not to bother other people. In “Crash,” Paul Haggis, the director, forces the viewer to recognize that without recognition of other people, the world doesn’t function properly. He conveys this through the racial and socioeconomic problems faced in the urban environment of L.A. Throughout the movie, characters such as Ludacris are too selfish to realize that the only thing preventing themselves from their goals, both socially and economically, is their own ignorance. For example, while Ludacris is complaining about black stereotypes and racism, he steals a car, further depriving himself of his wanting for equality by establishing himself as a caricature of a delinquent black male.
ReplyDelete-Brennan
“Crash” takes place in the heavily populated city of Los Angeles, a racially diverse city where stereotypes encourage individuals to isolate themselves into racial groups rather than integrate. For instance, as he speaks openly against the injustice of racial discrimination in the everyday life of a black male due to fear, Ludacris holds a white couple at gunpoint, thus establishing the fear he speak down upon. In the case of Ludacris’ character, no matter how hard individuals try to disprove their own racial stereotype, in some way or form it becomes inevitable that they must live out the stereotype to exist in the society they live in. Thus being said, as individuals push away from each other and prove said stereotypes, the concept of “ghosts” in an urban landscape is created and surely enough they begin to lack the “sense of touch” or feeling that detective Graham reflects on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this and really like your opening statement, but I'd like to add that stereotypical actions aren't so much inevitable as they are something enculturated. Also, I am not clear on the concept of ghosts because we haven't discussed it in class (not your fault at all), but for my simple mind adding a little to explain what a "ghost" is would probably add to why x proves y.
DeleteIn "Crash", the characters live in widely populated Los Angeles. Them living in a very populated city makes them lose a sense of themselves and their individuality, making them conform to the norm and believe in stereotypes and racism. In other words, they all become "ghosts." In the beginning of the movie we are introduced to a well off white couple and two black males. The white couple immediately stereotypes the black males in assuming they are thugs and avoid crossing paths with them. The black males automatically assume that the white couple is racist and is intimidated by them, and that the white couple avoided them because they are black. Both of these groups of people showed how the stereotypes in the big city are universal for each race, showing how one race believes in the same stereotypes about the other. This supports the claim that individuals living in a largely populated city lose a sense of individuality which in effect makes them want to find a similar group to conform to and follow their footsteps.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie "Crash", the setting of a cluttered and chaotic city enhances the idea of people becoming ghosts since they are loosing a part of themselves in the over-sized city. People in L.A become to worried about themselves that they end of falsely judging others in order to maintain a sense of belonging. The white couple that was car jacked began to judge the locksmith in their house because he had brown skin and they thought that since a black man car jacked them, then every single minority must want to cause them harm. This false sense of judgement supports the idea that people in large cities like L.A become ghosts to each other because they are too quick to shut down someone else because of how they look. Another example of this false judgement would be when the middle eastern man is trying to buy a gun, but the clerk refuses to let him buy it because he looks like a "terrorist". This only leads the middle eastern man to become even more infuriated. This goes to show that a "ghost" society is simply a never ending circle of stereotypical judgements that only lead people to become more separated from each other by jumping to conclusions based on that person's physical appearance.
ReplyDeleteIn densely populated L.A where “Crash” takes place the segregation between race and social class cause stereotypes creating a “ghost” already classified identity. When a middle aged, elite white couple walk around downtown L.A and encounter two black men whom according to the area don't belong, the women becomes frightened and reaches to hold her husband. Her initial response was fear as she saw the black men as “thugs”. Although the black men continue to fulfill the stereotype of a “thug” by stealing the couples vehicle this caused the stereotype to continue and expand and for the women to further stereotype to all minorities. Later in the film because of the encounter with the black men she orders to have her locks changed. The men who changed her locks happened to be a hispanic with tattoos, she then again proceeds to continue with the belief that he is also a “thug”. Minorities then lose their chance to prove their true identity becoming “ghosts”.
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of the densely populated Los Angeles, people strive to gain power and recognition. They are called “ghosts,” in the effort to gain recognition; they lose sight of who they really are. This is seen in some of the characters of the movie “Crash,” specifically Detective Graham Waters, played by Don Cheadle. Detective Waters, an African-American male, worked his way up to a higher position of authority through his job. However, in doing so, he lost sight of his identity and family, becoming a “ghost.” He was so involved in the urban landscape of L.A. that he failed to look after his younger brother, Peter, who was later shot by Officer Tom Hansen. It is seen that in attempt to gain recognition in the chaotic streets of this urban landscape, Detective Waters abandoned his mother, his brother, and most importantly himself.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your analysis of how Detective Waters lost his identity . I would also add that Cameron Thayer is in the same situation that Waters is in. They are in the same situation because Cameron allowed cop John Ryan to molest his wife; he did not stop the cop out of fear of poosibly losing his job as a director. His top priority, like Waters, is success, and that's why I think they are similar.
DeleteIn regards to the 21st Century, the amount of social unconsciousness has grown making the American disconnect expand.
ReplyDeleteThe movie "Crash" is an excellent portrayal of racism and amount of power as the disconnect amongst the characters. Officer John Ryan and his new partner pull over the Thayers without just cause and then while Officer Ryan molests Christine Thayer she refers to him pulling them over because she was giving a "black man a blowjob". The fact that race is mentioned in that line alludes to the greater issue of racism. The power in this scene is being abused by Officer Ryan because his actions against the Thayers occurs simply because he has the authority to. The way Officer Ryan gets that authority is mentioned later when his new partner tries to get a different officer to ride with. His new partner is told how racist the LAPD organization is, which explains why officer Ryan has been on the force for many years. Because the characters in "Crash" are going about their own lives, they forget to watch out for others living variations of the same life.
Similarly, the poem "Traveling Through the Dark" discusses the blind pursuit of individual happiness. The deer hit on the road is symbolic of those disregarded by individuals focused on their own path, acknowledging how in the process, Americans forget to be aware of the things in their environment.
“Crash” shows how people chasing the American Dream neglect their identities and compassion, which results in their cynical and stereotypical view of the world. In the movie, the urban landscape crams many busy and troubled people together. Cities have been home to many immigrants who migrated to the United States to work hard and earn wealth and success, as shown in the film by Farhad’s store and his Persian family. This mentality of hard work and “work first” has perpetuated itself in the urban environment and has caused people to sacrifice their understanding of other people. This is evident in the movie, when Farhad’s shop is vandalized; he was so worried about having a successful shop that he quickly blamed any person he felt would be reasonable to blame, which in this case would be the cholo-looking Daniel. Farhad’s pursuit of his American Dream has resulted in his stereotypical analysis of Daniel. This success-prioritized way of life affects a person’s view of the world because if a person’s top priority is personal wealth and success, than anyone in their way is an enemy. This is shown in Matt Dillon’s character of John Ryan, whose only concern was to make sure his dad’s urinary tract infection healed, and received quality health care. John Ryan’s only roadblock in ensuring his dad’s treatment was the black secretary, Shaniqua, who he accuses of being under-qualified for her job because she is an African American. This view on life causes people in urban environments to become selfish, and to develop close-minded and discriminatory views of the world. Although urban settings may seem ethically diverse, they only perpetuate discriminatory mentalities.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie “Crash,” the story takes place in very populated LA. Presented with multiple narratives from people with different ethnicities, it is easily seen that people’s judgments are all based on stereotypes of one another based on race. In one part of the movie, the two black men, Cameron, starred by Terrence Howard, and Anthony, starred by Ludacris, speak about how other black men are the thieves when they are in fact also thieves because they highjack cars. Cameron is confused because Anthony judges the other black men because they steal from other black folks and that they only steal from white people, which doesn’t make them the thieves. This is later shown when Cameron and Anthony run towards a expensive car from behind at gunpoint and realize that when they enter the car and tell the driver to get out, they hesitate because the man happens to be also a black man, but with very light skin. This shows that other black people are just “ghosts” to them because they only care to steal from the white people. The communities that they all live in are all very segregated and this gives space for people to ignore the others because of the difference in races.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Maritza. I like how you took it in a different way. That a race doesn't only make "ghosts" out of other races but they also do it to themselves. The movie isn't only about black and white but black and black and this is another problem that is now inevitable.
DeleteIn the movie, "Crash", Los Angeles is used as a great example of an area with people who seek to be someone, and are after the same goal of being recognized which makes it inevitable to cross paths with others. And so this then only enhances perceptions that these people have built, stereotypes that they enforce upon people that they dont realize it. The post 9-11 atmosphere only makes it more difficult, Sandra Bullock, clenches onto her husbands arm as she sees Ludacris walks by, only to set herself up and essentially make Ludacris and his friend rob her. But at the same time what can a person like Ludacris or Sandra do, these little actions they take, things they say are things instilled into them as children and things they may never let go of. And there inlies the problem.
ReplyDeleteIn a large city such as L.A, where several new immigrants move to, it is easy for an immigrant to lose themselves, their culture and assimilate to the American culture. In the movie “Crash” several individuals try to make a better life for themselves and their family, struggling to move through a society that is socially, economically and racially divided. In the movie, the locksmith is stereotyped as a gangster who might sell the keys of the locks he changes to his friends due to the way he dresses and his tattoos when in reality he is trying to make a better life for himself and his daughter. He is seen as a threat to the upper class, making him feel inferior and making him want to be more “American”, creating a “ghost.”
ReplyDeleteIn "Crash" the landscape of LA which is densely populated with immigrants creates "ghosts" by the segregation between the people living there. One example is the character of Farhad. At the beginning of the movie Farhad is called "Osama" which is a stereotypical name for people of Persian descent. Later Farhad tries to kill Daniel the locksmith over a misunderstanding but Farhad's daughter Dorri stops it and isolates Farhad as a "ghost".
ReplyDeleteIn the movie “Crash” the idea of “ghosts” are what causes all the violence and conflicts within a crowded and very segregated city like L.A. A city like this separates themselves using color, money, and clothing. “Ghosts” are created when people become ignorant and chose to not involve themselves with another class of people making them invisible to their world especially in an urban environment. The quote “In L.A., nobody touches you. We’re always behind this metal and glass. It’s the sense of touch. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something.” As a result of ignoring other’s existence, people start to feel like they aren’t important and they start to believe the the labels that were put onto them and start buying into them just so other people can notice them. They try to escape from being “ghosts” but instead they create the idea and let it grow. Ludacris acknowledges these labels that make him a “ghost” and robs a white couple’s car, imbracing this “ghost” instead of getting away from it. It is difficult to get away from because it is already alive and thriving around them. When the white cop kills Ludacris’s friend in the car scene towards the end, the friend can’t break free from being a labeled man who has become a “ghost” but instead gets shot without good reason and literally becomes a ghost.
ReplyDeleteNaomi Morales
ReplyDeleteIn the movie "Crash" the city of L.A. divides into many areas,which cause separation and lack of support throughout the many communities in the city. The lack of support within communities, cause the characters through the film to become "ghosts" for example the locksmith played by Michael Peña is stereotyped by Jean Cabot played by Sandra Bullock who says "And he's not gonna go sell our key to one of his gang banger friends the moment he is out our door? ". Michael is a "ghost" because before he leaves the Cabot's house he leaves both keys on the counter and walks out. at first glance he looks like a gangbanger who has gone to prison, and has gotten tattoo's, but he is really trying to create a better life for his daughter which makes him a ghost.
In LA, a densely populated city filled with different races and riddled with crime, it is easy to find prejudice in people. This hate between racial groups separates communities from each other and causes segregation in one of the most integrated cities. In “Crash”, characters are often forced into situations that demoralize them and thus take away their humanity. These people become ghosts that can only regain their sense of power and humanity by taking it it away from others. In the beginning of the movie we see two black males that talk about being oppressed by the wealthier white people and the fear they should have in their presence. When they see a white woman clutching her purse, this demoralizes them and they go onto steal her husband’s car. The white woman then demoralizes a Latinamerican man fixing her indoor by calling him a gang member. In another scene, a white cop (with an ill father) sexually assaults a black woman and gets away with it. The woman confronts her black husband and takes away his sense of pride by questioning his masculinity. He later tries to regain it by standing up to two thugs and pointing a gun to the police. Everybody tries to regain their humanity after it was taken away and thus a chain of hate and prejudice is made. It all stems from the higher end of a society turning minorities against each other and allowing them to be oppressed. It’s only after this chain is broken that the American people can regain their trust in themselves.
ReplyDelete