Generally if you see the words "race" and "crash" together, you brace yourself for bad news from NASCAR. If we're talking about the movie Crash, on the other hand, the relation is a little different: here, people are being mean to each other, and it might be because of a difference in skin color. Either way, things are going to get gnarly. You need to buckle your seat belts and make sure your airbags are in working order.
Questions about Race
- What does Crash have to say about race?
- Which characters would you describe as racists? Why? How are their actions motivated by race? Are any of the characters not racist in some way?
- What do the characters learn about race during the course of the movie? Be specific.
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Crash treats race as skin deep. Regardless of skin color, everyone in this movie is the same: a total jerk.
Crash conforms to racial stereotypes—angry Black man, racist white cop, Mexican housekeeper—more than it challenges them.