The Movie “Crash
The movie “Crash” tells the story of a group in LA who experience racial toleration in America. The cast is divided into eight different “groups”. The film is set in a time frame of 35 hours, so all characters “crash” and “bump” against each other. You can see the struggles of each “group” in this multi-ethnic cast. The “groups” do not need to have a commonality. They can be formed based on gender, race or other factors. Advertising highlighted that crash was a movie with an ensemble cast with a variety of actors and stars. The actors in “Crash,” who were all credited, may have been the reason for its critical success. In a highly controversial season for award shows, the film “Brokeback mountain”, which focuses on gay issues, was often pitted against “Crash”. Inferring that “Crash’s” best picture win was a response to “Brokeback Mountains” controversy, it can be said that the film won best picture as a political and social reaction. It has since been called “worst picture” in the modern society.
“Crash’ received many nominations and awards. The total number of awards won by “Crash” was 64. It also received nominations for more than 100. Crash’s most recognizable award is the Academy Awards. Crash famously beat out “Brokeback mountain” to win this award. It won Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Achievement in Film Editing. It’s fascinating to see that “Crash”, despite its low statistics, won all these awards. Paul Haggis was not moved by “Crash”‘s topics or subjects, but many people were.
Haggis admitted in an interview that this wasn’t a good picture. He deliberately inserted racial stereotyping. In an earlier interview, he stated that “I was trying to expose liberals by writing the movie”. It’s easy to expose people we consider racists. Haggis explained that the “social experiment” was also an explanation in interviews. I just wanted to play with people.
The controversy about “Crash” as the best film also has an impact on the social-political context of homosexuality. In 2006, there was less homophobia in the media and fewer critically acclaimed movies. In 2006, the film would most likely have not won Best Picture because at this time homosexuality has become a popular topic. It would also have received more attention that “Crash”. The movie would not be ignored, but it wouldn’t win best picture because homosexuality is currently a hot topic.
Some of “Crash’s” awards made sense and some didn’t. Oscar for Best Achievement in Editing was one of those awards. The editing of the film into different tales was unique. The movie was confusing at first, but as you watch it you will eventually understand what’s going on. It was smooth transitions from one scene to the next. In order to avoid confusion, the new scene should have some background information from the previous one. Crash was also awarded the best screenplay and writing award (IMDb). The movie’s writing was based on the idea that different events were all connected in a minuscule manner. This small way the events related to each other helped explain the backstory of some characters. In certain events, it is easy to see that the story had a profound effect on the audience and the characters made a real effort to solve the problems.
The media paid a lot attention to “Crash”. The movie was advertised in many different ways. Advertising was beneficial to the movie on many levels. Movie reviews were one of the ways. The critics always mention Haggis’ other works and films when they review the film. On the movie posters were the words “Moving with the speed life requires, we must collide”. This quote can be considered the motto for the film. The DVDs were released with the words “Provocative” on the cover to encourage people buy the film. Haggis’ movie “Million Dollar Baby”, used in the film’s advertising, was a big part of the “Crash” campaign. Haggis is known for making great movies.
Brokeback was also nominated for Best Picture. The Best Picture award was up for grabs between “Brokeback” and “Crash”. “Crash”, not “Brokeback Mount”, won the Best Picture award. The movie “Crash”, which was released in 1997, won the competition over “Brokeback Mountains” for two reasons. At the time, “Brokeback” was considered a taboo film. Ken Turan wrote in the Los Angeles Times the day following the release of “Crash”: “For people discomfited with ‘Brokeback Mount’ but who wanted to be comfortable looking themselves in the face and feeling like they were productive liberals, Crash was the perfect safe harbour. The voters could do so in good faith, with the knowledge that they were making a progressive choice, and without feeling like their liberal credentials had been tarnished by shunning ‘Brokeback Mountain’. It’s true that they (Ebert) did. According to Nikke of LA Weekly hetero members of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would not screen “Brokeback Mountains”. Finke states, “For an industry that prides itself in progressive values it was shameful for me to see Hollywood’s hostility to homosexuality on the same level as Pat Robertson’s” (Ebert). According to Robert Freidman “The Dart Group”, a PR firm that produced “Shakespeare in Love”, won the award in front of “Saving Private Ryan”. Friedman says that Focus Pictures (which released “Brokeback Mount”) did not like the press, while Lion’s Gate was staffed with people who had worked on previous Miramax films and knew how to tell a story of an “underdog”.
The winner was “Crash”. There is still much controversy today about the Oscars and whether “Crash”, which won in 1997, deserved them or not. Even today, the director is still arguing that “Crash” should not be the winner of the Oscars for Best Picture. It is not possible to change that “Crash,” won the Oscar, but it’s still worth looking back at why they did. The individual’s opinion is what matters.
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