Crash

[artsfartsyjanet]

What are your thoughts on this film?

[Deadpool]

I liked it.
That is all :)

[Paradox]

I thought it minimalized asian-americans on the west coast and overstated black, hispanic, and white relations.

[younggiftedandblack]

I thought it minimalized asian-americans on the west coast and overstated black, hispanic, and white relations.
How so?

I mean wasn't the store owner with gun story AA?

[pikachupacabra]

They were persian technically. The only asians I believe off the top of my head were the people-smugglers. It annoys me that a movie that I'd otherwise wholeheartedly endorse and support (it did some parts so well! Like the misunderstandings, stereotypes, jokes i.e. "teaching your people to park your cars on your lawn") I have to actually give my thumbs down to in regard to other asians simply because every group represented gets their "negative" viewpoint, and then a "positive" viewpoint. Asians, as usual, get a somewhat neutral one (getting run over by a car...but even this highlights the usual "faceless and voiceless" persona we tend to get. plus ludacris and pal treated him like an object. I'd puzzle over a deer i hit on the road the same way), and then a very negative one (people traffickers), as well as the random stereotype of not being able to drive and shitty language skills.

So it pains me is what I'm pretty much trying to say. Thumbs down! It's like turning down cheesecake. It tastes good and you love eating it, but you know in the long term it's bad for you and it'll make your thighs bloated.

[Paradox]

I mean wasn't the store owner with gun story AA?
Not really, as someone else has already pointed out they were persian. Crash was mostly from a black and white point of view. Even the hispanic character was an outlying character that just happened to be there to set up a major dilemma later on in the story.

The asian immigrants were supposed to represent the "asian" side but it had no real relevance to actual asian-americans. In fact i'd say that the asian immigrants were kind of caricatures throughout the whole thing and that in the end they were only there to make the other ethnicities look better. I thought Crash had a good message but it ended up stereotyping asians more than anything else so that is enough for me not to recommend it.

[younggiftedandblack]

Yeah I understand your point concerning the human trafficker.
I thought all the races were stereotyped and the only two characters who redeemed themselves in any was Matt Dillion's cop character and the store owner.

And forgive me, but I'm not good at nationalities or geography for that matter, but Persians aren't Asian :confused:

[Paradox]

Yeah I understand your point concerning the human trafficker.
I thought all the races were stereotyped and the only two characters who redeemed themselves in any was Matt Dillion's cop character and the store owner.

It just seemed like the asian immigrants were played up as fools.

And forgive me, but I'm not good at nationalities or geography for that matter, but Persians aren't Asian :confused:
Persians are from Iran they are "caucasian" and historically their religion was largely Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Manichaeanism. There is a significant arab mixture too with less than 60% being ethnically persian. At least 80%+ of them are shiite muslims now. They have more in common with Afghans, Kurds, etc.. linguistically. Some of them also have typical "white" features like blue/green eyes and light colored hair..just like some afghans.

[Arex]

Yeah I understand your point concerning the human trafficker.
I thought all the races were stereotyped and the only two characters who redeemed themselves in any was Matt Dillion's cop character and the store owner.Well, Ludicris's character did kinda redeem himself by not going apeshit on the director (after he got his ass beaten and had his gun returned to him), and by setting the "Chinamen" free.

Latinos were portrayed in a completely positive light in the film, which I thought was good.

A bit of balance for us Asians/Asian Americans would have been nice. Instead, we get the bad Asian driver ("blake"), the human trafficker ("Chinaman"), and the illegal immigrants. I don't think I've ever been referred to as a "Chinaman" by any black person in LA, so I'm not sure why Ludacris & friend had to repeatedly use the slur in the film (maybe I'm just that sheltered?). And I don't consider the insurance adjuster who denied the claim to be a sufficiently fleshed out character to balance out the other portrayals.

But for unbalanced Asian caricatures, it would have been a good film.

[younggiftedandblack]

Thank you Paradox for the explanation.

Arex,

Would you say his chracter was redeemed (Luda)?? He still stole that dudes van and just dropped the people off in the middle of what I guess was China Town? The Latina officer at the start wasn't that positive either.

I don't I've heard more positive reviews from black viewers. The one and only crtique I've read from AA is the lack of a positive Asian character (Daniel Dae Kim was in it, but I don't remember what he did). Alot of reviews from white people seem to dislike the movie for various reasons.

[Arex]

Thank you Paradox for the explanation.

Arex,

Would you say his chracter was redeemed (Luda)?? He still stole that dudes van and just dropped the people off in the middle of what I guess was China Town?This is true. Probably not redeemed overall since he was, in the end, still a car thief, but at least he showed he wasn't completely without redeeming qualities.

The Latina officer at the start wasn't that positive either.Although she was latina, I didn't really see her character as playing into any stereotypes. But she was kind of a bitch to the "blake" lady (I would've been too though).

[pikachupacabra]

Negative portrayals nonewithstanding, my personal critique with the movie (From an asian-american male's perspective) was the FACELESSNESS of the asian characters. Not so much that they were engaged in dirty activities (half the characters were), but that they were not given any screen time for the audience to acclimate and warm up to them.

Even the nastiest, most disrespectful and downright crazy character in a movie/tv show will end up being better associated with by the audience if given the sufficient screen time. Especially compared to someone who is shown for 3-4 minutes tops, with 3.5 of those minutes basically as a fly on the wall.

[n3bulous]

i thought it was just okay

[kimpossible]

My main problem with the movie was that by the end it felt much too contrived. The concept was great and I think it did a good enough job of showing prejudice in larger terms in comparison with sappier movies that mostly end up saying "racism is bad, kids. don't do it." The plot was too heavy handed for me. Worth a watch at least one time.

The weirdest resolution for me was Sandra Bullock's character pronoucing her housekeeper as her best friend. The woman has to deal with her emotional needs on top of working for her.

[Paradox]

The weirdest resolution for me was Sandra Bullock's character pronoucing her housekeeper as her best friend. The woman has to deal with her emotional needs on top of working for her.
I thought that whole scene was patronizing as hell.

[luv]

i just watched the movie a couple days ago. thought it was pretty good, at least much better than expectations because i never watched it in theaters. i agree with what everyone says about the downplay and marginalizing of AAs, but in defense this movie really depicted race relations without holding back, more than any other film i have seen before. if it could be made into TV series then much easier to give all races equal screen time, but alas it is still a 90 minute movie

[younggiftedandblack]

i just watched the movie a couple days ago. thought it was pretty good, at least much better than expectations because i never watched it in theaters. i agree with what everyone says about the downplay and marginalizing of AAs, but in defense this movie really depicted race relations without holding back, more than any other film i have seen before. if it could be made into TV series then much easier to give all races equal screen time, but alas it is still a 90 minute movie
Fox is developing it for a TV show.