A movie brings me hope
-- "This is sense of touch. Any real city, you walk, you brush past people, people bump into you. In LA, nobody touches you, we always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel each other”
City is a strange place, people from different races, countries, social classes gather together, live together, love and hate each other, which for sure will create numerous stories. That's why the movie CRASH happened in Los Angles and even there are so many coincidences I still believe it's true.
CRASH focuses on the misunderstanding and mistrusts among people of various races—White, Asians, African American, Hispanic and middle eastern people. At first, people have stereotype at others, for example, African American believe they were suffering discrimination from white people and even African American waitress; Latino were recognized as gang member by both white and middle eastern businessman. Mainly people are discriminating others and being discriminated at the same time.
At this point, the movie was just a perfect reflection of our daily life. I came to realize the dilemma Americans are facing with not until I arrived at USA and immersed into the multicultural environment. I mean, in china, most people are Chinese; people share the same cultural background and values so it's easy to understand and predict others' behaviors. However, when I saw people with white or black skin at America, I found myself had no idea about what's their thoughts and behaviors mean to me. Sometimes it really confused and embarrassed me then an old saying in china “People who's not belonging to your race must have a different heart” came to my mind. Obviously it was the same stereotype just like the roles hold in CRASH.
I felt sad when I saw people in the movie cannot stop suspecting other people even they knew others could be honest and innocent. Actually I believe it's not only a tragedy in the movie but also a dilemma in the real world. People are both good, but when they get together, they intend to think strangers who were just the same as them are bad guys. The more I learned about communication across culture, the more I believe this.
Then suddenly there was a turning point and that was where I appreciate : the little girl flies to protect his father, whom really looks like an angle at that moment. All of a sudden I smelt the flavor of warm afternoon sunlight and was deeply motivated by the peaceful power conveyed from that scene. I cried out silently for no reason.
After the shooting, the old Persian gentleman stands alone quietly for a long time, saying nothing. But I can fully understand his feeling even without any communication--that miracle gives him new hope for life which also inspires me. It implicates that the power of love is much stronger than all kinds of man-made evil thoughts. I have to believe in love even though that might be not true.
Another attractive point of CRASH is the two policemen. Just like a coin, everyone has two sides, good and bad. The white racist policeman also can be a hero who devote his life to save civilians, the young honest policeman who believe in justice and follow his principle strictly also can be a murderer based on racial discrimination. Welcome to the real world! There is no absolutely right and wrong here, no one stands for justice or evil, and everyone makes mistake intended or unintended. This is why CRASH convinces audiences successfully.
When I think about this I think about myself, who try hard to keep a perfect relationship with everybody. My efforts make some progress but much more failures. I do know I should not judge and criticize others' behavior, I do know I should act As generous and easygoing, I do know I should treat different ethnic groups equally ; however, sometimes I still cannot tolerate people who didn't satisfy me, I still act as selfishly when handling some issues, I still struggle with ethnic problems. I know that others share the same feeling with me, it doesn't make me feel better.
When I was young I lived in a small village in china, there was no such kind of complex problems because all my life is about my mother, father, grandmother and uncle. When I was in elementary school there was no such kind of complex problems just because I'm not mature enough to understand them. As I grew up, life became more and more complicated. Eventually, I have to deal with significant problems of interpersonal relationship. I was no longer that lovely little boy who treat everyone same and bring everyone happiness. That's what they call grow up.
Sometimes I really feel lonely and depressed because I found I sink into all sorts of puzzles I can hardly work out. And the movie CRASH called this feeling up again. It seems that it takes time to realize the solution of the dilemma Americans are facing with , so does mine.
Fortunately, I gain hope from CRASH too. With the help of love and justice, we have made a huge progress. At the end of the movie, the black young man drove the van to Chinatown and released those illegal immigrants instead of sold them out. After finish what he was doing, he smiled. Then I smiled too. I know thing like that may not occur in the real world but I'd like to believe it because it brings me hope. And only hope can make me survive from the tough truth.
Thanks to CRASH.
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