Peter Nelson

It's hard to give it even 1 star. It's a 5 star quality film, but a zero star movie that promotes antisemitic stereotypes. AND no reviewer even mentions not only the stereotypes but that the "villain" is Jewish (in name only). The fact that it is such a well made film, well written directed and acted (and Academy Award nominated for best picture) makes the antisemitism all the more insidious. Triumph of the Will and Olympiad are also very well made films. But they promoted the Nazis and Hitler and helped smooth what was to come. How many stars do you want to give those movies?

Many years after its release, it's only to be expected that different people for different reasons love and hate Crash. Let me begin by saying "It's a movie!" That doesn't mean the filmmakers are not responsible for the messages they send. But it's still a movie. It's not a treatise on "race" or racism. It's not an academic journal abstract. This is a dramatization of how we live in a racialized society and crash into each other again and again. Of course, with so many "driving" accidents, the victims will disproportionately be of color. And the bad drivers may be "good" people. We have woven into complex human life an unnecessary complication, skin pigmentation. How can this not lead to anger, resentment and tragedy? This is what the film shows. It's visceral. It's poetic. It's human. That's good film making. That's good story telling. That's responsible artistry. See it! Judge for yourself.