CRASH, Oscar winning Best Picture 2005 is indeed a splendid movie, 100 times over better than I was prepared for. I have read no reviews, and by awards time the movie had been out for almost a year. The generalization that it was/is a "Message movie" is correct, but in no way is it preachy.
Every role is well acted, a rarity at the movies; there are no movie stars. The direction is of a piece, with no signs of post production fiddling or costly, tinkering reshoots.
In the guise of 'realism' we are nevertheless confronted with moments of surrealism, transcendance that takes one's breath away, as when a little girl, wearing a 'magic' cloak given to her by her loving father, stops a bullet. I've not seen anything even remotely as cinematically advanced in a Hollywood movie, perhaps, EVER.
This movie does not preach against race discrimination: instead, it proclaims that there is no choice available, that we are forced to "get along." Correct: we have no choice.
The photography has a unity of color made slightly more vivid than we are use to, creating just the right degree of non-realism. Gripping theatricality.
SEE THIS MOVIE. Please post about this movie.
Barry
7 comments:
You really did enjoy that one I can tell ~ when it comes my way I will make a point of going to see it ~ Ally
This post is very timely for me as CRASH landed (no pun intended) on my doormat today courtesy of Blockbuster - somehow I managed to miss it when it was showing at the cinema. Thanks to your review I can't wait to watch it!
Tilly x
"I can't wait to watch it!
Tilly x"
Wow, and I can't wait for your reaction.
Post it here, or email, doesn't matter.
Although I'd love to see if your reaction
stirs anyone else to give THEIR reaction.
I'd especially appreciate hearing your reaction
to the soundtrack, music, noises, voices, everything.
I plan to see it a third time later today. Damn,
I'm stunned that every role is well acted. But,
please, let 'er rip if it's not your cuppa.
Barry
This movie does not preach against race discrimination: instead, it proclaims that there is no choice available, that we are forced to "get along." Correct: we have no choice.
Hello Barry,
I agree with your statement above. We do not have a choice but to get along with the diversity we have in America.
I was somewhat forced to watch the movie in my spanish class as a cultural thing.
I very much disliked the movie, not because of the language, discrimination or what havior. I simply did not like it because it was very confusing. Each charactor was well played by the actors but the characters themselves seemed to be contradictive. He thought he was white but he was black, he is colorful but just white etc. They either seemed to be discrimative or are discriminated against.
Maybe I just misunderstood the whole aspect of the movie, but in any case, I do not like it one way or another. I am not saying anything about the actors or moviemakers, I just don't like movies like crash or pulpfiction.
Glad you liked it.
BEA
"Maybe I just misunderstood the whole aspect of the movie."
Bea, may I suggest you raise the subject of your
feelings about the movie, feelings and ideas about
the movie, it's structure and dialog, in your Spansih
class? You could generate a discussion that way, and
so make a contribution as you always do.
I viewed the movie for the third time last night. I
found even more in the movie to love and be grateful
for. A new edition will be released in stores in a week or
so. (I have a hunch that the movie's most unusual
soundtrack conveys a lot of information, the music, sounds,
voices singing, in ways we are not reated to very often.
It was when i tuned into the soundtrack that the full
force of the movie really got to me bigtime.
Barry
Well Barry, I finally got around to watching it and was transported on a whirlwind tour of emotions. Personally I found the film had a touch of magic about it. At times I was laughing, the next I was moved to tears (the dam walls started to buckle at the tender cloak exchange and it finally burst when she stopped the “bullet” – and on it flowed until the end).
The fact that practically the whole way through I could imagine the writer surrounded by his 3 x 5 cards as he neatly interlinked the plot didn’t ruin it for me – I love films where it all comes together. And nor did the moments when the dialogue sounded a little manufactured like when the young black guy gave the speech about hip-hop. It also didn’t ring true when the black guy stood by and watched the cop assault his wife, it wasn’t like he was trying to avoid a 20 year stretch – but perhaps I’m out of touch!
The thing is the movie didn’t have to be 100% real to be compelling (What’s real anyway? Perhaps lots of young, cool black guys think Hip-Hop is an FBI conspiracy – What do I know, I live in a cosy, white English suburb!)
Finally the music. The Stereophonics at the end has been played so much on the radio over here that it lost its power for me somewhat. But unusually I watched right through the credits to find out who sang that beautifully haunting song, “Deeper”. Let me know if you do, because I missed it.
All in all it was great and curiously, and this may be a little off the wall, in a certain way (the profound sadness in a lot of people) it reminded me of “Falling Down” with Michael Douglas.
Tilly x
"The fact that practically the whole way through I could imagine the writer surrounded by his 3 x 5 cards as he neatly interlinked the plot didn’t ruin it for me – I love films where it all comes together."
From Tillysweetchops
Your entire written response to the movie CRASH is so
on-target and interesting I've turned our dialog
into a Jouranl entry. I took a huge leap in the impulse
of the moment and neglected to ask your permission.
I pray you will overlook this time.
Barry
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