Introduction
‘Crash’, the movie, brings together characters with unrelated backgrounds and experiences. Their narratives appear parallel, but, as the plot unfolds, their lives become entangled turning into a complex tale spanning 24 hours. It brings to the fore the issues of racial tension and prejudice inherent in American society. The main sociological principles seen in the movie are ethnic stereotypes, gender roles, cultural/racial identity, ego-defensive prejudice, and social aggression, among others.
Sociological Themes
Ethnic Stereotypes
A major sociological principle evident in the movie is ethnic stereotypes. Stereotypes are the overgeneralizations people make the “behavior, appearance, or traits” of persons from a particular ethnic or social group (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009, p. 12). Ethnic stereotypes in ‘Crash’ emerge from poorly conceived notions and perceptions of racial or ethnic groups. The white police officer, John Ryan, holds overt stereotypical beliefs about black minorities. He believes the operator, Shaniqua Johnson, was favored over “five or six qualified White men who didn’t get the job” (Crash 2005). He sees her as an operator not keen on assisting others because she was not hired on merit. Further, the cop abuses his power by indecently touching a black woman in the presence of her husband who was subdued by a second officer. These episodes portray the officer as a person with ingrained stereotypical beliefs about minority populations.
The ethnic stereotype is also seen when Jean grabs her husband’s arm when they see two African-American men approaching their car. Her fear stems from preconceived notions about black men. She tells her husband that, as a white woman, walking away from black men is not a sign of racial intolerance. The two African-American men turn out to be carjackers, reinforcing Jean’s stereotypical beliefs. After the incident, the couple calls a Hispanic locksmith to replace the locks in the house. Again, Jean argues that the locksmith could be a “gang member with a shaved head and pants around his ankles” who could give the keys to “gangbanger” members (Crash 2005). Her comments portray her as a person holding stereotypical beliefs about minority groups. Other examples of stereotypes include the white pawnbroker believing the Persian male has terror links and the Persian linking the Hispanic to a break-in at his store.
Traditional Gender Roles
The second sociological theme evident in the film is traditional gender roles. The film depicts how inflexible gender roles influence social behavior. The traditional male gender role as the protector is illustrated in an episode where Officer Ryan frisks the wife of a film director, Cameron, ostensibly to search for weapons. She accuses her husband of not protecting her from the humiliation because he does not want people to “realize that he is actually black” (Crash 2005). She is unhappy that Cameron failed in his protector role. The male’s protector role is also seen when the Persian American shopkeeper purchases a firearm to protect his family from burglars. However, her daughter gives him ‘blanks’ for the gun instead of ammunition. Her action saves a locksmith’s daughter when the gun goes off after a confrontation between the shop owner and the locksmith following a robbery incident. Thus, the episode reiterates the traditional female gender role of intuition and non-violence.
Cultural Identity
Another sociological theme in the movie is cultural identity. Farris (2007) defines identity as an “abstract, multifaceted concept” present in all intercultural interactions. In ‘Crash’, two black young men are seen arguing endlessly about the history and rise of black culture from the 1960s to modern-day rap music. Their debate also focuses on socioeconomic disparities and social classes. According to Farris (2007), the two men are attempting to define their cultural identity and place in the larger culture. Another dimension of cultural identity development is racial identity. The race is a “social construct” that resulting from an attempt to separate people into categories (Farris, 2007, p. 347). The film director, Cameron, is seeking to find his place as a minority in a world dominated by white filmmakers. He feels estranged from either group and appears to be in a racial identity crisis.
Ethnic identity is a recurring theme in the movie. The characterization of the whites, blacks and Latinos, Asians, and Middle Easterners relates to their ethnic identities. Whiteness is portrayed as superior and conforming to the image of a protagonist (Ray, 2007). The white characters in the film come across as the officials or prejudiced persons. On the other hand, blacks and Latinos are depicted as less sterling individuals in society. The two black men walking towards the white DA and his wife are seen as carjackers. The white cop also belittles Shaniqua due to her ethnic background. Benshoff and Griffin (2009) observe that, in the film, the whites see Latinos as “radicalized stereotypes” with most of them becoming assimilated by the white majority (p. 5). The film paints a picture of the cultural identities associated with Latino immigrants.
Ego-defensive Prejudice
Ego-defensive prejudice also occurs as a sociological theme in the film. It is the social prejudice that people display without feeling the need to justify it (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). In the film, the black police detective calls his girlfriend ‘Mexican’. This could be understood as a clever way of being derogatory in a subtle way. This subtle prejudice is also seen when the officer tells her that she should know that her people are not allowed to park in their yards (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). In ego-defensive prejudice, people disparage others through casual and offhand remarks or actions.
Racial prejudice is also seen in the way Asians are depicted in the movie. The ‘Chinaman’ is almost killed in a hit-and-run incident involving two African American males. Later, we learn that the ‘Chinaman’ is a human trafficker who houses illegal immigrants in his vehicle. Thus, the depiction of the Chinese as an illegal immigrant trafficking in humans is a prejudiced portrayal of Asians. The movie also makes a mockery of the Arabs as individuals with terrorist ties. The Persian man in the film procures a handgun to protect himself from social ‘othering’ or prejudice. As Ray (2007) puts it, ‘othering’ emerges when a dominant culture associates an “undesirable trait with a specific group of people” (p. 353). Due to the terrorist attacks propagated by terror elements in the Arab world, the Persians suffer prejudice and ‘othering’.
Aggression
‘Crash’ also brings into the fore the issue of aggression, loosely defined as physical or verbal behavior that harms another person’s emotions or status. The Persian American shopkeeper is hostile to the people he interacts with. He even purchases a handgun to protect his family and property from robbers. His hostility may stem from socialized values and perceptions that social aggression is the only way minorities can survive in America. He pursues a locksmith accusing him of being behind a robbery at his store. During the ensuing confrontation, he fires his weapon. He could have harmed the locksmith’s daughter had the gun been loaded with live ammunition. Thus, the shop owner believes that he has to be aggressive to others to defend himself and his investment from a hostile society.
Racism
The movie also depicts racism through the interactions between white and minority characters. Racism stems from stereotypical beliefs and social prejudice (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). In the film, the white detective that fatally shot a black police officer is said to have also killed two African-American men before believing they had guns. It is clear that his actions are driven by racist motives. Another instance of racial prejudice is seen when the advisor to the DA and a black detective conspire to frame the white cop for murder. The charge of racism is prepared despite a lack of proof linking the white cop to killing black men in multiple cases. In essence, they deny the cop an opportunity for a fair trial and prosecution.
Conclusion
The characterizations and stereotypes in the ‘Crash’ typify the sociological issues the American society is struggling with today. The statement: “You think you know who you are. You have no idea”, captures the perspective of the film director on the cultural influences in a cosmopolitan society (Crash 2005). We do not know how others perceive us or how other cultures shape our attitudes through interpersonal interactions. All the characters, regardless of their social or ethnic background, suffer prejudice stemming from stereotypical beliefs. The director wants us to reexamine our identities and cultural/personal flaws to change our perspectives, be understanding, and alleviate stereotypes and prejudice ingrained in our minds.
References
Benshoff, H., & Griffin, S. (2009). America on film: Representing race, class, gender and sexuality in the movies. New York: Blackwell Publishing.
Farris, C. (2007). Crash course: Race, class, and context. College English, 69(4), 346-350.
Haggis, P. (Executive Producer). (2005). Crash [DVD]. Los Angeles: Bob Yari Productions.
Ray, S. (2007). Crash or how white men save the day, again. College English, 69(4), 352-357.