Index Film "Crash" - Analysis of prejudice and distorted perceptionFinal thoughtsWorks CitedThe 2004 film, Crash, directed by Paul Haggis is a drama which is fundamentally about the underlying the racial tensions present in society and its effects on various people in Los Angeles after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Over the course of thirty-six hours, the film explores how eleven strangers can influence each other and how a person's true character can often contradict their stereotype. The film addresses issues 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Movie “Crash” – Analysis of Prejudice and Biased Perception John’s journey demonstrates both the frightening evil and immense goodness of people, 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 Agent Ryan's personality and how he develops as a character from the introductory scene to the last. Over the course of the film, the audience experiences a contradictory journey with Officer John Ryan that paints him as both a villain and a hero, as a result of the way the film embodies the reality of racism. Officer Ryan's racial prejudice stems from the destructive impact that local affirmative action policies have. had in his father's business. Haggis uses a low camera angle, showing John looking at his father on the toilet, describing him as weak and sick. This angle also shows how John is saddened 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 towards his father manifests itself in 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, seeking help for his ailing father, the operator informs him that they are unable to help him. A close up of John rubbing his face is used to show his frustration and annoyance. John asks for her name, to which the operator responds with "Shaniqua Johnson". John immediately reacts with “Shaniqua? That'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. This scene helps convey to the audience how John feels powerless and, out of frustration, decides to beat up his ethnicity in an attempt to gain said lack of power. Referring to the operator's name, Shaniqua, who is of African-American descent, is commonly associated with negative ideology by 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 is further developed when he illegally touches a black woman, Christine, after a heated argument with Shaniqua earlier that day. . To vent 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 get a call to look out for a late-model black Lincoln Navigator. A vehicle passes that matches the description, even if thelicense plates do not match. When Ryan's partner informs him of this, Ryan continues to stop them regardless, sneering at Officer Hanson "They were doing something." suggesting that he is determined to assert his dominance over blacks. This particular scene uses extreme close-ups of Officer John Ryan's hands moving down Christine's body from the waist down, and then down her legs behind. The use of an extreme close-up framing Christine's body puts emphasis on what John is doing, molesting a woman. Close-ups of Christine's face are used showing her discomfort and humiliation, caused by someone she is supposed to protect. In this scene, Agent Ryan's tone of voice is quite demanding: "You have a nice mouth." A faint, eerie track plays in the background, adding to the scene depicting police foul play. Haggis uses noticeably dark lighting in this scene. doing this allows John to be seen as rather surreal and scary, helping to represent the negative flaw in John's character. Agent Ryan goes through a tough transition, contradicting the public's view of him. Even though Officer Ryan is initially perceived as racist, he is still able to produce good deeds that force the audience to reexamine their opinions of him. This ties into the message of the film in that our perception of people can be easily changed depending on the environment they are in. we see them inside. When Christine gets into a car accident, Agent Ryan is the first officer present. A heavy classical track with mournful tones plays in the background throughout this scene. It slowly intensifies as the pace coincides with the gasoline dripping from his car and the flames of the car's other building in the background, suggesting danger. At that point, Christine realizes who Agent Ryan is and begins to refuse his help, yelling "Get your hands off me!" The music prevails over the characters' dialogue, thus making the viewer focus on the scene rather than on what they are saying, placing the emphasis on Christine's panic caused by the presence of Agent Ryan. Officer Ryan responds in the same tone, "Ma'am, I'm not going to do that." Fuck, I hurt you!" Agent Ryan continues to narrate his movements to Christine: "I'll reach for you in my lap." This shows the audience that Agent Ryan recognizes the impact his previous actions have left on Christine. An extreme close-up of when Officer Ryan pulls down Christine's skirt is a key shot that shows the point at which he gains not only Christine's trust but also that of the audience Agent Ryan struggles to free Christine and the gas leak and is lit by fire. Haggis uses a wide shot showing both Christine and Agent Ryan's frightened expression as the flames come into contact with Christine's vehicle Ryan is pulled from the car, claws his way out to drag Christine out with him before the vehicle explodes The use of the wide shot helped show that even though Officer Ryan feared for his life , he still continued to save Christine, showing his heroism. This is shot in broad daylight, with a golden hue shining on the scene. This is in contrast to the dark night scene where Ryan accosts 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. Please note: this is just an example. Get a personalized document from us now.