Reflective Essay on Movie Crash
Criminal Justice Communication
12 October 2011
Crash Character Essay
For my essay on Crash I had to really reflect on this movie. There are so many characters in this film it is difficult to decide. The director decided to show conflict in race relations in L.A. The lives of each character are enterlaced by events that appear unrelated, but are in the end dependent on eachother. The series of events have many tragic results. The story could have ended differently if the people involved actually didn't hold the prejudices they do.
I finally decided on Matt Dillons character Sgt. Jack Ryan. He has deep seated prejudices and displays them in his early scenes. When he pulls over the wealthy black couple he treats them in a demeaning fashion. He uses his position to make them feel helpless. Similar to the way the black woman made him feel when he asked her for help regarding his father. The way one character treats another cause a chain reaction. These action are very apparent in this movie. The character Ryan attempts to justify his attitude from his years of observation on the streets. The realities of life in many parts of the country are that many cultural groups treat eachother with disrespect. It is a reality that perpetuates itself.
As the plot moves along Officer Ryan has his partner decide to report his actions. The black commanding officer does not react as the younger officer expects. He explains to Officer Tommy that he has not made it to his current position by making enemies in the LAPD. He then offers the younger officer a choice to report the incident or to embarass himself and transfer into his own car.
The next major scene with Officer Ryan involves the woman he earlier molested. She was driving after a fight with her husband over the incident he actually caused. Ryan is faced with an actual life and death emergency at the accident scene. He chooses to put his own life at risk and save the woman he earlier disrespected.
12 October 2011
Crash Character Essay
For my essay on Crash I had to really reflect on this movie. There are so many characters in this film it is difficult to decide. The director decided to show conflict in race relations in L.A. The lives of each character are enterlaced by events that appear unrelated, but are in the end dependent on eachother. The series of events have many tragic results. The story could have ended differently if the people involved actually didn't hold the prejudices they do.
I finally decided on Matt Dillons character Sgt. Jack Ryan. He has deep seated prejudices and displays them in his early scenes. When he pulls over the wealthy black couple he treats them in a demeaning fashion. He uses his position to make them feel helpless. Similar to the way the black woman made him feel when he asked her for help regarding his father. The way one character treats another cause a chain reaction. These action are very apparent in this movie. The character Ryan attempts to justify his attitude from his years of observation on the streets. The realities of life in many parts of the country are that many cultural groups treat eachother with disrespect. It is a reality that perpetuates itself.
As the plot moves along Officer Ryan has his partner decide to report his actions. The black commanding officer does not react as the younger officer expects. He explains to Officer Tommy that he has not made it to his current position by making enemies in the LAPD. He then offers the younger officer a choice to report the incident or to embarass himself and transfer into his own car.
The next major scene with Officer Ryan involves the woman he earlier molested. She was driving after a fight with her husband over the incident he actually caused. Ryan is faced with an actual life and death emergency at the accident scene. He chooses to put his own life at risk and save the woman he earlier disrespected.