2004, USA/Germany
Crime, Drama
Writer/director Paul Haggis' (writer of Million Dollar Baby) film of racism is so heavy-handed one almost needs a crane to guide the plot through its muddled society. In an effort to avoid being too subtle, he surpasses all semblance of realistic human interaction and enters a world of ever-present anger and frustration that invariably results in pain, whether physical or emotional. How these people have survived this long is anyone's guess.
Every character is racist. As soon as a good guy presents himself, he succumbs to the inevitable prejudices that others have warned him would surface. Rotten cops, power-hungry district attorneys, spoiled housewives -- they are all the same. The lower-class minorities that are trying to make their way in the world are unavoidably on the receiving end of constant racial slurs and as a result they will return them to others. The unending circle of chaos only entangles itself more as the like-charged particles bounce off each other, supposedly until one particle miraculously becomes positive and results in the crash of the title.
But how can a true epiphany occur when anger is so innate? Apparently these characters are negatively driven by their day-to-day aggravations, though the heart of their problems rarely are a result of racist communications. If the film focused on these individual problems and removed the permeating cloud of racism, the film might just be intriguing. But awash in their uncompromising ignorance, they never fail to lash out in blatant insults. Occasionally a character will spout a randomly awkward statistic concerning one race or another, and then quickly dismiss it as they admittedly live up to their own stereotype.
This film wants to be intelligent and discussion-worthy, but instead it is aloof and self-important. The extensive cast is solid and worthy of recognition, but their dialogue does not ring true. This is not a dismissal of racism -- its astonishing existence has certainly been unearthed after the September 11th attacks. Ignorance abounds despite the efforts of each generation, and communication does need to be established in order to better our society.
However, a film such as this is merely aggravating to watch. Everyone acknowledges their faults and favoritisms, yet no matter how the storylines overlap there can be no true reconciliation. This movie has been showered with awards and nominations, and it can only be assumed that the nominators feel that to not recognize it would be an admission of their own inner guilt. A simple solution would be for everyone to move beyond guilt and get to know their neighbors, rather than assume the tired stereotypes that this film only perpetuates.
Extras on the disc include a quickie thank-you-for-watching by the director and a commentary track by Haggis, screenwriter/producer Robert Moresco and actor/producer Don Cheadle. A behind the scenes featurette demonstrates the grandiose message the cast and crew believe they are portraying. Also included is a music video and trailers for the soundtrack and other flicks.