Perception of Crash

In the film Crash, a voice over says: “We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into one another just to feel something.” Crash is a mirror and reflection of who we are as individuals. There are many tasks we each have to do in our daily lives, and we encounter many people without realizing that we are connected. The results of these social interactions are often with violence, racial discrimination, and power struggles. We begin to judge people on their common appearances and begin to group them. Stereotyping and the misperception of people create these conflicts and ruins our society today, just like a car crash.

Stereotyping is violent. During the film, when Officer Hansen and Officer Ryan are on duty searching for a particular carjacked vehicle. Ryan decides to stop a black SUV. Inside there is an interracial couple. The whole situation changes as he decides to hold their hands up and put them against the car. The couple, Cameron and Christine, are both convinced and have no choice but to follow the officer’s orders. Within moments, Christine is molested and sexually abused by Officer Ryan as he is searching her. Officer Ryan stops the couple for no reason. The couple is discriminated and handled with such pain and abuse. It is a wrong action. The officers here are not doing their job of assisting, protecting, and regulating people. Rather, in this instance, they abuse these innocent individuals and, most importantly, these officers lost their trust and respect. Stereotyping leads to misjudgments and often influences sexual violence over groups of people.

Stereotyping has grown into another form of racial discrimination. From the case with Officer Hanson, we realize he is ...

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...ust always think carefully and watch what we say.

Stereotyping throughout the film has created chaos. People are endangered and mislead. Stereotyping leads to sexual abuses, racial judgments, and power conflicts. It is all negative influences on individuals in which they are categorized and grouped together to be more easily discriminated. People are people. We are all the same, and come from similar experiences. We need to realize that we are all human and it should not be part of our life to misjudge on first sight. We need to improve, be more aware of others, and always keep an open mind. Avoiding stereotype improves our society and cultures from every person to every group. In the end, we are the same and we are all connected.

Works Cited

Crash. Dir. Paul Haggis. Perf. Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton . Lions Gate Entertainment, 2005. DVD.