Monday, September 25, 2006
posted by harveen at 11:32 AM
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Med 5 links...
This link is very useful as it contains different film reviews on the film crash so that i can analyse on different opinions and see weater the film was a success in society or not...
This link is useful as it contains alot of relative detail to audience, different represenations and narrative structure which is very useful as my question is based on how a film engages its audience...
contains information on film and audience again which is relevent to my question...
contains information about race and the media-different news articles and reports...
this link is useful to my study as it contains different reviews and articles about the film crash which i can then idnetify different opinins expressed...
This link contains different articles on the film crash which is again useful as i can find out weater the film was a success with the audience...
posted by harveen at 10:15 AM
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NaRraTiVe...
-The audience see many different characters and social situations taking place in the film at different times.
-This therefore engages the audience as each social event will collide together and the story eventually fits together.
-Many different narrative roles are also given to different characters, such as “hero” and “villain”-links to propps theory, again causing social conflict in the film.
-At the end of the film another crash takes place suggesting that social issues will continue in life even if people do try and change society.
-The linear narrative structure of the film suggests that our life's do crash together in some stage of life…
posted by harveen at 9:45 AM
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vALUES AND iDEOLogies...
-"Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other. You think you know who you are. You have no idea”.
-Therefore this explains that In an urban society we all crash in to each other with out us knowing this and we are all linked together in many different ways.
-The idea that racism and conflict happens every where in the world.
-Social issues raised such as racism, class divides and prejudices on people are also represented in the film to engage the audience by making them more aware by informing them and also adding reality to the film.
-“We know that we live in a multicultural society, but yet we know that we experience stereotypes and racism everyday. We sometimes end up not thinking about the implications of stereotypes because we are not sure how we can talk about them”.- Ryan Saxby Hill
-Therefore this explains that the moral message being sent out to the audience is that each incident in the film is a lesson that the audience can learn from and stop from taking place.
Historical context- This also explains that social issues in past history do still exist nowadays like prejudices on black people and class divides but there are more campaigns in the 2oth century to stop these issues taking place.
posted by harveen at 9:37 AM
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ReprEseNtatioN and AuDiencE...
-Many characters in the film are represented to be racist to different types of people.
-This therefore causes social conflict as conflict between different races is being presented to the audience-This engages the audience as they are able to sympathise with characters in the film.
-This also informs the audience that nowadays in the society we are living in racism does still exist not only in LA but in different places around the world, shown by the different cast used in the film.
-Many of the women represented in the film are also seen to be weak and emotional, by the fact that men have more dominance and control over them-For example when a black women gets sexually abused by a white police officer. This therefore causes social conflict between characters.
-Many different stereotypes are also reinforced and represented in the film. For example there are many stereotypes placed upon the black society as they are represented to be criminals to society by having a sense of fear towards them.
-“The movie works to deconstruct the events that lead up to a car crash in Los Angeles. The events are a series of interconnected inter-racial interactions that expose the racism, intolerance, and stereotyping that goes on in everyday American life. As it deconstructs the scene of the car accident, Crash also works to deconstruct the stereotypes that are depicted in the film.”- Ryan Saxby Hill
-The research represented above explains that there are many stereotypes represented in the film crash that eventually all lead up to the main CRASH that takes place during the first scene.
-Therefore this explains that the social issue of stereotypes are represented in the film by making the first scene trigger everything off, eventually engaging the audience and creating narrative enigmas.
-Finally the enigma will be answered as throughout the film and towards the end as different stereotypes are represented throughout the film to show what had caused the “crash”.
posted by harveen at 9:28 AM
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INstitution/GeNre
-crash opened in wide release on 6th may 2005 and was a box office success.
-The film's budget was $6.5 million (plus $1 million in financing). Because of the financial constraints, director Haggis filmed in his own house, borrowed a set from the TV show Monk, used his car in parts of the film, and even used cars from other staff members. Despite its success in relation to its cost, Crash was the least successful film, at the domestic box office, to win Best Picture since The Last Emperor in 1988.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(2004_film).
-Other films which I have researched on and represent similar social issues raised are “Bullet Boy” and “City of God”.
-The two films mentioned above have similar social issues such as poverty, stereotypes in society, prejudices against black people, and different social divides such as the “rich” and the “poor”.
-In my research I have also gathered that crash can be placed under the Genre of an action film. This is because the different social issues raised trigger off the action in the film such as racism. From the beginning of the film the issue of death keeps the audience engaged throughout the film.
-Other films which I have researched on and represent similar social issues raised are “Bullet Boy” and “City of God”.
-The two films mentioned above have similar social issues such as poverty, stereotypes in society, prejudices against black people, and different social divides such as the “rich” and the “poor”.
-In my research I have also gathered that crash can be placed under the Genre of an action film. This is because the different social issues raised trigger off the action in the film such as racism. From the beginning of the film the issue of death keeps the audience engaged throughout the film.
posted by harveen at 9:15 AM
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media language...
-A number of close up shots are used it the film to engage the audience by allowing the audience to identify with different character and to create an emphasis on facial expressions.
-Therefore the previous image above connotes that a social issues have been raised in the film by having two previous opposing characters being placed in a intense scene with each other to represent the fact that role reversal has taken place within the police officers character.
-Overall the main social issue raised in that specific scene is the class divide between the black and the white characters in the film.
-This can also perhaps portray a positive view on racial issues in America as a representation of a positive change is taking place.
-The setting if the film (LA) also represents how social issues are being raised in the film. This is mainly because the realistic setting informs the audience that a number of different crimes to take place in reality, therefore engaging the audience more into the film.
“It’s the sort of film you wish you could force everyone to see, it leaves you with the perhaps painfully naïve conviction that if only enough people saw it, then the world might be a better place to live in”.
-Overall the main social issue raised in that specific scene is the class divide between the black and the white characters in the film.
-This can also perhaps portray a positive view on racial issues in America as a representation of a positive change is taking place.
-The setting if the film (LA) also represents how social issues are being raised in the film. This is mainly because the realistic setting informs the audience that a number of different crimes to take place in reality, therefore engaging the audience more into the film.
“It’s the sort of film you wish you could force everyone to see, it leaves you with the perhaps painfully naïve conviction that if only enough people saw it, then the world might be a better place to live in”.
http://www.cinemablend.com/review.
posted by harveen at 8:49 AM
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Monday, September 18, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
A film review on crash...
Crash: A Collision of Racial Stereotypes by Ryan Saxby Hill for deal.org
At times hard to watch, but candid and much needed, Crash fills a void by giving us a reason to discuss racial stereotypes and racism.
Canada holds itself up as an icon of a multicultural and multi-lingual society. We celebrate our multicultural policy as being a core value of the Canadian way of life. It is certainly true that politicians and leaders talk continually about the value of Canadian diversity and the need to celebrate this diversity whenever we can.
This nationalistic level of multiculturalism is one thing, but it is the interaction between people that determines how multiculturalism is felt at a personal level. Many times it is at this personal level of interaction where racism and stereotypes are formed and where they play out. It is easy for us to say that we live in a country that respects cultural diversity and that stands for multicultural values, but it is a very different thing to live this experience everyday.
Due to how multicultural our society is supposed to be, there is sometimes a difficulty in talking about race and racism, because we just don’t have the vocabulary or the ability to make the conversation work. We are scared to talk about race because we are not sure how we are supposed to talk about it. We know that we live in a multicultural society, but yet we know that we experience stereotypes and racism everyday. We sometimes end up not thinking about the implications of stereotypes because we are not sure how we can talk about them.
The new movie Crash by Lion’s Gate Films might be able to help us work this out. The movie works to deconstruct the events that lead up to a car crash in Los Angeles. The events are a series of interconnected inter-racial interactions that expose the racism, intolerance, and stereotyping that goes on in everyday American life. As it deconstructs the scene of the car accident, Crash also works to deconstruct the stereotypes that are depicted in the film.
The website for the film states, “Driving headlong into the diverse melting pot of post-9/11 Los Angeles, this compelling urban drama tracks the volatile intersections of a multi-ethnic cast of characters’ struggles to overcome their fears as they careen in and out of one another’s lives.” This candid portrayal of racial stereotypes, bigotry, and intolerance works in all directions. Bigots become the victims of bigotry, and stereotypes are turned in on themselves. The result is a fast paced journey through the interconnected lives of the characters. Emotional scenes are the norm and the intensity of the film is obvious.
The movie’s tag line is, “at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other,” and this general theme serves to explore the difficulties that exist in these interpersonal collisions. There is violence, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of prejudice and racism. The movie provides us with real life cases of how racism feels, how it plays out in real life, and how unreasonable it can be.
I left the film with something to talk about. I was able to say, “Wow, I felt that and I don’t like it,” or “I’m not comfortable with how normal this looks.” Whatever you think of the film, you will likely be forced to think about the content. It might not be completely easy to handle, but it is something that you should do. Go see it. Take your friends. Talk about it after.
Links:
The official site of Crashhttp://www.crashfilm.com/
posted by harveen at 10:16 AM
1 comments
FiLm ReViEw
CRASH Running time: 113 minsStarring: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Terence Howard, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges
Crash is a provocative treatise on racism woven together with a series of overlapping threads. Written and directed by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis, Crash was inspired by an incident in which Haggis was carjacked at gunpoint in Los Angeles. Racism is a universally recognized affliction, but Haggis' victimization at the hands of black robbers caused him to explore how living in a city where everyone is cocooned in their car contributed to the problem. One theory he posits via detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle), whose car has just been rear ended is, "In LA, nobody touches you. I think we miss that sense of touch so much that we crash just so we can feel something." It's a slightly less sexually charged motivation for having an accident than was suggested in J.G. Ballard's book which shares the same title as Haggis' film. That anyone would deliberately risk potential injury just to connect with a stranger is clearly an extreme viewpoint, but subtlety is not exactly a feature of Haggis' melodramatic Crash. The bludgeoning approach is taken to stir a reaction and while it dares to state inflammatory points of views eloquently and forcefully in a way few films have risked, it does so with an intellectualism that undermines its authenticity. Reminiscent of Magnolia and Short Cuts, Crash comprises a number of separate stories that are loosely connected. Set over a period of 24 hours, each vignette offers a different perspective of the multi-ethnic melting pot that is life in Los Angeles. The film uses its characters not so much to tell a story, but to express an opinion, from the racial cop (Matt Dillon), to the campaigning District Attorney (Brendan Fraser) anxious to capture the black vote, to the black television director (Terence Howard) toning down his ethnicity in a predominantly white industry. All fit into well-defined stereotypes and engage in the kind of dialogue reserved more for an impassioned polemic than everyday conversation. Anthony (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) and Peter (Larenz Tate) are two of the most articulate carjackers ever seen on screen. The pair are forever discussing in loquacious terms the stigmas and prejudices they face as two young black men. As they stroll an upscale neighbourhood, the more aggrieved Anthony observes, "We're the only black people surrounded by a sea of over-caffeinated white people and a trigger-happy LAPD." Seconds after being incensed by the sight of Jean (Sandra Bullock) clutch her husband (Fraser)'s arm upon spotting the two black youths, Anthony pulls out a gun and relieves the couple of their Cadillac. It's one of the many times in the film where stereotypes are enforced only to later be dispelled.
Crash is a provocative treatise on racism woven together with a series of overlapping threads. Written and directed by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis, Crash was inspired by an incident in which Haggis was carjacked at gunpoint in Los Angeles. Racism is a universally recognized affliction, but Haggis' victimization at the hands of black robbers caused him to explore how living in a city where everyone is cocooned in their car contributed to the problem. One theory he posits via detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle), whose car has just been rear ended is, "In LA, nobody touches you. I think we miss that sense of touch so much that we crash just so we can feel something." It's a slightly less sexually charged motivation for having an accident than was suggested in J.G. Ballard's book which shares the same title as Haggis' film. That anyone would deliberately risk potential injury just to connect with a stranger is clearly an extreme viewpoint, but subtlety is not exactly a feature of Haggis' melodramatic Crash. The bludgeoning approach is taken to stir a reaction and while it dares to state inflammatory points of views eloquently and forcefully in a way few films have risked, it does so with an intellectualism that undermines its authenticity. Reminiscent of Magnolia and Short Cuts, Crash comprises a number of separate stories that are loosely connected. Set over a period of 24 hours, each vignette offers a different perspective of the multi-ethnic melting pot that is life in Los Angeles. The film uses its characters not so much to tell a story, but to express an opinion, from the racial cop (Matt Dillon), to the campaigning District Attorney (Brendan Fraser) anxious to capture the black vote, to the black television director (Terence Howard) toning down his ethnicity in a predominantly white industry. All fit into well-defined stereotypes and engage in the kind of dialogue reserved more for an impassioned polemic than everyday conversation. Anthony (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) and Peter (Larenz Tate) are two of the most articulate carjackers ever seen on screen. The pair are forever discussing in loquacious terms the stigmas and prejudices they face as two young black men. As they stroll an upscale neighbourhood, the more aggrieved Anthony observes, "We're the only black people surrounded by a sea of over-caffeinated white people and a trigger-happy LAPD." Seconds after being incensed by the sight of Jean (Sandra Bullock) clutch her husband (Fraser)'s arm upon spotting the two black youths, Anthony pulls out a gun and relieves the couple of their Cadillac. It's one of the many times in the film where stereotypes are enforced only to later be dispelled.
Crash taps into the underlying tension of city where the haves and have nots might pull up next to each other in traffic, but are still a world apart. Haggis ventures beyond the more commonly explored white black issue to encompass a gamut of ethnic vantage points including Hispanic, Korean and Iranian. With strong performances from its ensemble cast, Crash is audacious and thought provoking if heavy handed. It succeeds in capturing the urban alienation of Los Angelenos, but does so at the cost of forging a real connection with those it uses to convey its message.
Kevin Murphy.
Why i find this review useful...
The film reveiw above explains a short description of what the film is about. It also explains many other social issues raised such as racism and class prejudices in the film itself. Many stereotypes in the film are also raised as being put under the heading of social issues one being the mainly the "black society".
Harveen
posted by harveen at 2:30 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
BaCkGrOuNd rESeArCh....
Crash opened in wide release on 6 May 2005, and was a box-office success in the late spring of 2005, with mixed reviews. The film's budget was $6.5 million (plus $1 million in financing). Because of the financial constraints, director Haggis filmed in his own house, borrowed a set from the TV show Monk, used his car in parts of the film, and even used cars from other staff members. It grossed $53.4 million domestically, making back more than three times its budget (roughly 60% of the box office takings of a movie do not return to the financiers but instead pay for distribution costs). Despite its success in relation to its cost, Crash was the least successful film, at the domestic box office, to win Best Picture since The Last Emperor in 1988.
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert named Crash the best film of 2005 [1]. LA Weekly critic Scott Foundas named it the worst film of the year, touching off a debate between the two critics.
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert named Crash the best film of 2005 [1]. LA Weekly critic Scott Foundas named it the worst film of the year, touching off a debate between the two critics.
posted by harveen at 11:51 AM
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How and why are a number of different social issues represented in the film Crash to engage its audience?
For my independent study I will be focusing on the film crash as a number of different issues such as racism, stereotyping, class division and prejudices on a number of different people are raised in the film. I used different types of research from a number of different sources to collect the information needed. The film Crash will be the main text and I will be referring to this text throughout my study. The main part of my research was mainly from the internet and different articles reviewing the film. The main websites visited were http://www.google.com/, http://www.imbd.com/, http://www.crashfilm.com/ and http://www.guardian.co.uk/.
Media Language:
A number of close up shots used to emphasise facial expressions- allowing the audience to identify with different characters.
Mise en scene- The realistic streets of Los Angeles showing that racism does take place there. Therefore this shows social conflict in this specific area.
Sound- the tensed soundtrack leading up to the events in the film. Therefore this keeps the audience engaged as the social events taking place all collide together engaging the audience to see how this event has happened.
Institution:
Refer to other films which raise the same type of issues such as Bullet Boy.
Genre:
The main genre of the film is action, linking to the different issues raised which triggers them off. Action in the film keeps the audience engaged- From the beginning scene raising an issue of death.
Representation:
Many characters in the film are represented to be racist to different types of people. This therefore causes social conflict as conflict between different races is being presented to the audience-This engages the audience as they are able to sympathise with characters in the film.
The representation of women by being weak and emotional. This links to the mother in Bullet Boy.
Men also having more authority and power then women (stereotyping). This therefore causes social conflict between family members.
Audience:
Targeted at both males and females-middle class art house audience. Also aimed at different races in the audience to appeal to everyone-multicultural audience.
Values and Ideologies:
In an urban society we all crash in to each other with out us knowing this and we are all linked together in many different ways.
The idea that racism and conflict happens everywhere in the world.
The effects of the social issues used, such as racism are also used to engage the audience and make them more aware of there issues.
That we are living in a patriarchal society by the issue of family conflict being raised.
Narrative:
The different narrative roles used, for example the “Hero” and the “Villain”, again causing social conflict in the film.
The idea of a linear narrative.
The audience see many different characters and social situations and eventually the stories will collide therefore engaging the audience.
Social Context:
That nowadays in society racism does still exist.
Different prejudices about people in society.
Historical context:
Social issues in past history- the idea that social issues do still exist today but nowadays there are more campaigns on how to beat these issues.
Economic context:
The different class divided in society, for example the “rich” and the “poor”.
Political context:
The political violence between the “white” and the “black” classes in society.
The “lower class” and the “upper class”.
For my independent study I will be focusing on the film crash as a number of different issues such as racism, stereotyping, class division and prejudices on a number of different people are raised in the film. I used different types of research from a number of different sources to collect the information needed. The film Crash will be the main text and I will be referring to this text throughout my study. The main part of my research was mainly from the internet and different articles reviewing the film. The main websites visited were http://www.google.com/, http://www.imbd.com/, http://www.crashfilm.com/ and http://www.guardian.co.uk/.
Media Language:
A number of close up shots used to emphasise facial expressions- allowing the audience to identify with different characters.
Mise en scene- The realistic streets of Los Angeles showing that racism does take place there. Therefore this shows social conflict in this specific area.
Sound- the tensed soundtrack leading up to the events in the film. Therefore this keeps the audience engaged as the social events taking place all collide together engaging the audience to see how this event has happened.
Institution:
Refer to other films which raise the same type of issues such as Bullet Boy.
Genre:
The main genre of the film is action, linking to the different issues raised which triggers them off. Action in the film keeps the audience engaged- From the beginning scene raising an issue of death.
Representation:
Many characters in the film are represented to be racist to different types of people. This therefore causes social conflict as conflict between different races is being presented to the audience-This engages the audience as they are able to sympathise with characters in the film.
The representation of women by being weak and emotional. This links to the mother in Bullet Boy.
Men also having more authority and power then women (stereotyping). This therefore causes social conflict between family members.
Audience:
Targeted at both males and females-middle class art house audience. Also aimed at different races in the audience to appeal to everyone-multicultural audience.
Values and Ideologies:
In an urban society we all crash in to each other with out us knowing this and we are all linked together in many different ways.
The idea that racism and conflict happens everywhere in the world.
The effects of the social issues used, such as racism are also used to engage the audience and make them more aware of there issues.
That we are living in a patriarchal society by the issue of family conflict being raised.
Narrative:
The different narrative roles used, for example the “Hero” and the “Villain”, again causing social conflict in the film.
The idea of a linear narrative.
The audience see many different characters and social situations and eventually the stories will collide therefore engaging the audience.
Social Context:
That nowadays in society racism does still exist.
Different prejudices about people in society.
Historical context:
Social issues in past history- the idea that social issues do still exist today but nowadays there are more campaigns on how to beat these issues.
Economic context:
The different class divided in society, for example the “rich” and the “poor”.
Political context:
The political violence between the “white” and the “black” classes in society.
The “lower class” and the “upper class”.
posted by harveen at 10:19 AM
0 comments
