Table of Contents Film "Crash" - Analysis of prejudices and distorted perceptionsConcluding thoughtsWorks CitedThe 2004 film, Crash, directed by Paul Haggis is a drama that is fundamentally about the underlying racial tensions present in society and their effects on various people in Los Angeles after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Over thirty-six hours, the film explores how eleven strangers can impact everyone's lives and how a person's true character can often contradict their stereotype. The film observes themes such as racial prejudice and abuse of power through the character of Officer John Ryan, a white American police officer. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay “Crash” Movie – Analyzing Prejudice and Distorted PerceptionsJohn’s journey demonstrates both frightening evil and immense goodness of people, by showing two separate events that occur throughout the film. Techniques such as dialogue, setting, and camera angles are used to effectively show this contrast in Officer Ryan's personality and how he develops as a character between his introductory scene and his last. Throughout the film, the audience experiences a contradictory journey with Officer John Ryan that portrays him as both a villain and a hero, due to the way the film embodies the realities of racism. Officer Ryan's racial prejudices stem from the destructive impact of local affirmative action policies. had over his father's business. Haggis uses a low camera angle, showing John looking at his father on the toilet, portraying him as weak and sick. This angle also shows how saddened John is by his sick father. Close-ups are also used to show John's defeated facial expressions, leading the audience to sympathize with him. In John's next scene, the audience discovers that his anger toward his father manifests itself as prejudice. This is evident when he displays a racist attitude towards a black health insurance agent, Shaniqua Johnson. In a scene where Ryan calls the HMO insurance agency to ask for help for his sick father, the operator informs him that they cannot help him. A close-up of John rubbing his face is used to show his frustration and annoyance. John asks her name, to which the operator responds with "Shaniqua Johnson." John immediately retaliates with “Shaniqua?” It's a big fucking surprise. » The use of dialogue in this scene helps capture John's prejudices. His dialogue also suggests that he attributes his father's continued illness to the fact that the insurance agent is black and unwilling to help him. This scene helps convey to the audience how powerless John feels, and out of frustration, he decides to beat his ethnicity in an attempt to gain said lack of power. Referring to the operator's name, Shaniqua, which is of African-American descent, it is commonly associated with negative ideology in society. Ryan allows this stereotype to fuel his anger towards Shaniqua, which allows the audience to see Ryan as a bigoted racist. The darkness of Ryan's character develops further when he illegally touches a black woman, Christine, after a heated argument with Shaniqua earlier in the day. . To express his frustration and anger, he abuses his position of power as a police officer for personal gain. Officer Ryan and his partner Hanson are on patrol when they receive a call to watch out for a late model black Lincoln Navigator. A vehicle matching the descriptionpasses, but the license plates don't match. When Ryan's partner informs him of this, Ryan continues to arrest them despite this, taunting Officer Hanson "They were doing something." which suggests that he is determined to assert his dominance over the black people. In this particular scene, extreme close-ups are used of Officer John Ryan's hands moving down Christine's body from the waist down to her feet, then down her legs behind her. The use of a very close-up panning shot of Christine's body emphasizes what John is doing, assaulting a woman. Close-ups are used of Christine's face showing her discomfort and humiliation, caused by someone who is supposed to protect. In this scene, Agent Ryan's tone of voice is quite demanding: "You have a hell of a face." » In the background, a faint eerie track is playing, which adds to the scene which depicts the foul play of the police. Haggis uses noticeably dark lighting in this scene. this allows John to be seen as quite surreal and frightening, helping to portray the negative flaw in John's character. Officer Ryan is going through a difficult transition, contradictory to the public's opinion of him. Even though Agent Ryan is initially seen as racist, he is still able to produce good deeds that force the audience to re-examine their opinions about him. This ties in with the film's message that our perceptions of people can easily be changed depending on the environment around them. we see them enter. When Christine gets into a car accident, Officer Ryan is the first officer there. A heavy classical piece with sad tones plays in the background throughout this scene. This slowly intensifies as the rhythm matches the gasoline pouring from his car and the flames of the other automobile building in the background, suggesting danger. At this point, Christine realizes who Agent Ryan is and begins to reject his help, yelling "Take your fucking hands off me!" » The music dominates the characters' dialogue, thus forcing the viewer to focus on the scene rather than on what they are saying, thus emphasizing Christine's panic caused by the presence of Agent Ryan. Agent Ryan responds in the same tone: “Ma'am, I'm not going to do it. Damn king hurt you! Officer Ryan continues to recount his movements to Christine: “I'm just going to run my hand over your lap. » This shows the audience that Agent Ryan recognizes the impact his previous actions have left on Christine. A very close-up of the moment when Officer Ryan pulls down Christine's skirt is a fundamental shot that shows the moment he gains not only Christine's trust but also that of the audience. The music rises dramatically as Agent Ryan struggles to free Christine and the gas leaks and lights himself with fire. Haggis uses a wide shot showing Christine and Officer Ryan's fearful expressions as the flames come into contact with Christine's vehicle. When Ryan gets out of the car, he claws at him to take Christine out with him before the vehicle explodes. The use of the wide shot helped show that even though Agent Ryan feared for his life, he still continued to save Christine, demonstrating his heroism. This is shot in broad daylight, with a golden hue shining over the scene. This contrasts with the dark night scene where Ryan arrests Christine and her partner Cameron, where his dark nature is revealed. This scene shows a dramatic transition in John's character, forcing the viewer to reevaluate their perception of John from an intimidating officer to a glorified hero. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized item now from.