Buried Treasures: Crash

What a summer this has been. Seemingly innocent African-Americans killed at point-blank range by white police officers. In apparent retaliation, five innocent police officers (keeping peace at a race rally, no less) killed by a black sniper. We do not live in a post-racial society, as some have claimed for years. No, we do not have two sets of water fountains, and African-Americans are no longer required to sit in the back of our city buses. But boy, do we have a long way to go in our collective quest to achieve racial harmony in this country.

As America unwraps its racial wounds only to find them still bleeding, our national discussion has resumed at its most uncomfortably blunt level since the waning years of the Civil Rights movement. Consequently, I have anointed Paul Haggis’ 2005 drama “Crash” as this month’s Buried Treasure. Haggis was a screenwriter and producer whose film “Million Dollar Baby” (directed by Clint Eastwood) had just won the 2004 Best Picture Oscar. For “Crash,” Haggis directed as well. The result is nothing less than the greatest film about race ever made.

“Crash” follows several interweaving story lines, a la most of Robert Altman’s films, but without Altman’s dry wit. There’s nothing funny about “Crash.” Early on, we’re introduced to Peter and Anthony (Larenz Tate and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), two black men having a frank discussion on the perception of African-American males by white society. After receiving a dirty look from a wealthy white woman, the two men proceed to carjack her vehicle. The rich lady turns out to be Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock, in the best performance of her entire career), the wife of a district attorney. Jean has a locksmith replace the locks in the Cabot home, but not without audibly complaining to her husband about his Hispanic heritage.

Meanwhile, Matt Dillon and Ryan Phillippe play two cops who pull over an affluent black couple driving home from dinner. John (Dillon’s character) fondles the wife (Thandie Newton) during a pat-down, resulting in another frank discussion – between Newton’s character, Christine, and her husband Cameron (Terrence Howard). She accuses him of showing weakness by not confronting the white officer who molested her. Unfortunately, his explanation makes a lot of sense.

Dillon’s character turns out to be a loving son to his drug-addict mother, yet he happens to be perhaps the most racist character in the whole film. Peter and Anthony are smart young black men – not necessarily racist, but they happen to be low-tier criminals. “Crash” doesn’t paint anything in black and white. Haggis’ entire script conveys that great shade of proverbial grey.

My favorite vignette involves an Iranian store owner who buys a gun for his own protection against the wishes of his adult daughter. Their relationship is special and memorable, but to tell you more would require a spoiler alert. Suffice to say you’ll never forget their story, nor will you forget the ending — an episode that so adequately mirrors recent racial incidents you’ll think Haggis had made “Crash” just yesterday.

“Crash” is as timeless as any film I’ve seen in the past 20 years. It has aged well and, were it re-released today, would help us through our dark, but necessary, national discussion of race relations.

It was considered a surprise winner at the Oscars honoring 2005's films. Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” was the Best Picture frontrunner, and Lee indeed won Best Director that year. Just a few minutes after Lee accepted what many believed would be the first of two successive awards, Jack Nicholson announced (in shock) that the Best Picture Oscar had been awarded to “Crash.” Some surmised the Academy chose the less risky alternative; that Academy voters simply weren’t mentally and emotionally ready to award a film about gay cowboys. I strongly disagree.

I have never been so excited about an Oscar win. After years of complaining about what I deemed obviously inaccurate choices (Was “Shakespeare in Love" really a superior film to “Saving Private Ryan?”), I believe the Academy finally got one right! While “Brokeback Mountain” is certainly a very good film, “Crash” is the best picture I’ve seen so far this millennium. It’s that good!

You owe it to yourself to see this one — and see it now, while racial tensions are high. If everyone aged 17 and older blocked two hours and watched “Crash” today, I swear we’d all have a more open and honest discussion of the role race continues to play in today’s society.

Andy Ray also writes about films for http://www.artschannelindy.com/