Crash Film Essay

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2nd Paper Assignment – “Crash” Directed by Paul Haggis In the movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, the themes of social justice and stereotypes are explored within the context of modern society, specifically Los Angelos. In this film prejudice and stereotyping are prevalent when discussing legal rights and moral rights. We see firsthand how social stigmas have profound impacts on the choices people make through the intertwining lives of several multicultural characters who each bear their own stereotype The presence of mise-en-scène is very important to the overall theme of the movie, specifically the costumes and character props. The characters wear the clothes by which they are stereotyped. Everyone is dressed to match their background, race, etc. They all seem to fit in where they are supposed to in society. This allows the viewer to clearly understand the specific stereotype the character is set to portray. This is probably the most important aspect, because the film is full of in-your-face stereotyping. The social, economic and psychological elements make this film what it is, intensifying the feelings and actions of so many people in everyday life. Since our culture as a whole continues to stereotype and show racism to those who “are not like me,” the film stresses this point to every extent. The film is meant to portray life as it really is, although most of us do not want to think of it or see it that way. I do not think it is supposed to scare us as much as to make us realize that this is the world we live in and find humor in some of it. The lighting plays a role in the film also, as the scene goes from daylight to night is seems as if more of the bad things happen at night. The cinematography is vital to the film since it can at times get confusing when following the different story lines. However Paul Haggis did a great job with the camera to
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