Crash and Learn

Crash and Learn

Viewing the film Crash had me in a whirlwind of emotions. I found myself furious, devastated, and powerless in various scenes throughout the film. I was on the edge of my seat and even found myself tear jerking not because of some of the people’s actions, but unfortunately because these are actions that occur in our society.  The film ties in with a lot that we have discussed in class and was very educational.  The Social- Conflict theory helps one attain a better understanding of the film as does race, power, and family.

            Race seems to be a key component of the film. There is literally a racist police officer. In class we discussed stratification and race. This can be witnessed throughout the film many times. Examples include the difference in jobs between Daniel and Officer John Ryan and the power Officer John Ryan has over the Thayer’s when he pulls them over. Daniel and Officer Ryan come from different backgrounds and are different races which plays a key role in their different lifestyles, income, and social position. Once again, Officer Ryan is viewed in a higher social position when he pulls over the Thayer’s. Why? Because even if the Thayer’s were to report his behavior they would most likely take the officers word rather than the Thayer’s due to race and his occupation. Especially, since his partner did nothing to prevent the situation out of fear.

            Power is also a key component in the film. Particularly the power associated with guns and authority. Examples include the abuse in power Officer Ryan uses simply because of his status and occupation. This again would include stopping the Thayer’s and fondling Mrs. Thayer. Power in this circumstance created fear. Another instance in where guns are viewed as power is when Farhad points a gun to Daniel. As mentioned in class, Farhad has power over Daniel simply because he is in possession of a gun and therefore has power over him.

            Lastly, differences in social classes can be seen. One clear example is the difference between Daniel and the Cabot’s. Mr. Cabot is in politics and a bit time while Daniel is a handyman making enough to support his small family. Not only do their social classes differ due to their different occupations, but as a result Mr. Cabot is looked as superior next to Daniel. Mr. Cabot has power and wealth while Daniel does not.

The social-conflict approach also helps one understand the film. The social-conflict approach studies how inequality creates conflict and causes change. Specifically, the race-conflict theory is evident. This can be witnessed various times in the film. For example, the incident in which Mrs. Cabot get closer to her husband as Peter and Anthony approach them while walking to their car simply because they are black. Society’s inequality and conflict between different racial and ethnic categories makes people be cautious whenever being approached by black males. It would be a different case had they been white. Not only that, but since they were in a nice neighborhood she was even more cautious because why would someone who appeared to be of a lower class be in such a nice neighborhood. On average, white people tend to have higher incomes and as a result this in a sense causes Mrs. Cabot to act this way. Another example in where the social-conflict approach is evident is when Farhad and his daughter go to a gun shop to buy a gun in order to protect their business. Unfortunately, due to the way in which society views Middle Eastern people the shop owner/worker decide to act negatively towards them simply because of the reputation society has given people who are from the Middle East.

All in all, the film was great. It was very well executed and it made me have a better understanding of social classes, power, and race stratification. It also helped me get a better understanding of the social- conflict approach.