Daniel Polo-Wood

Professor Douglas
UWRT 1102
2/3/16
Crash Review Rough Draft
The movie Crash covers a multitude of controversial subjects from
racism to corruption, but one subject that stuck out was the difference
between the rich and the poor and the social rewards that come with each.
The idea that all humans are the same and deserve equal treatment and
opportunity is completely eclipsed by the idea of wealth and poverty.
Although it might seem obvious that all humans experience the same types
of emotions, including fear, anger, and happiness it might seem as though
some are less human than others including the top percentage, and even
those at the bottom.
In Crash there was a character who was extremely wealthy white
woman played by Sandra Bullock who accused a Mexican repairman who was
changing the locks in her house of being a gang member and a thief. The
repairman, after learning more information about him, is a very honest
hardworking man who just wants to take care for his family and earn enough
through his job to support their living. He isnt very wealthy, but with his
work ethic he is able to make enough money to support his daughter and

wife. Therefore the assumptions made by Sandra Bullock are unfounded and
frankly very wrong. These two characters are extremely different in terms of
race, wealth, attitude, but it doesnt excuse Sandra Bullocks behavior
towards him as a fellow human being. Her immediate reaction and prejudice
towards him just prove that she believes that she is more important and that
his feelings dont matter. Her ignorance towards his life, and his experiences,
and her judgement of his character based on solely his skin color and
appearance is appalling.
Its important to note that although people judged her for accusing him
of being a crook, no one stood up for him, and not even he had the status to
speak for himself. He silently finished his work and left rather than bring up
the issue and further dig himself a hole which was first made by Sandra
Bullock. Her wealth and status protected her from a backlash from her peers,
her husband, and from the repairman himself. The room was importantly full
of minorities yet no one said a word to her as the only white lady in the
room, and due to this the woman probably sees it as acceptable behavior.
The repairman is not only being judged by his race, but by his job, his
appearance, rather than being judged by his character and actions. This
movie which came out over 10 years ago still touches subjects that effect
todays society heavily. Prejudice and the color of peoples skin still seem
coincide even after years of fighting for social equality, and a racially
unbiased society. Although the movie tends to exaggerate in several of the

characters motives, it still accurately portrays what life is like for many
people in an unbalanced society.
In a different scenario in the movie, Crash, a wealthy black man is
robbed by a black gang banger and his friend at gunpoint. Instead of getting
out of the car and letting the thugs take his car he decides to fight back and
beat up the young men. They yell that theyll shoot him, but after a moment
it is obvious that neither guy is brave enough to shoot him even with the
police on their tail. The wealth difference between them is probably
immense, which is what provoked the auto theft in the first place, but the
fact that the wealthy man was able to stand toe to toe with the young thugs
showed that these gang members werent inhuman, and it showed that
although having lived a cushy life the wealthy black man is still as human as
they are, and that although their social standings, their place in society, were
in completely opposites parts of each other, they still had the basic
connection of humanity, and neither were invincible. Often times in society it
would seem like famous, or rich figures live in complete safety surrounded by
24/7 bulletproof glass, and without a care in the world, but as we see in the
movie and often in real life is that those godlike social figures are just as
human as everyone else.
The movie does a great job in showing the difference within living in
wealth and poverty, but it also shows that although they seem to live in
completely different worlds, they often coincide in everyday life, and neither
is less human than the other. Thug members arent invincible forces of evil

incarnate, and rich people arent the immune to death, or pain, or fear, or
any other human emotion. Despite this truth in todays society its hard to
realize this, because of the automatic power that wealth rewards those who
are lucky enough to have it. Overall the fact that this movie addresses these
problems bluntly and in a very real way is the first step in realizing the
problems that need to be solved if this society is to function in a way where
everyone is equal and receives the same treatment without bias and
prejudice.