i read ebert’s case for the film, and i was still not convinced.

i mean, read his concluding paragraph:

Not many films have the possibility of making their audiences better people… All of these people, superficially so different, share the city and learn that they share similar fears and hopes. Until several hundred years ago, most people everywhere on earth never saw anybody who didn’t look like them. They were not racist because, as far as they knew, there was only one race. You may have to look hard to see it, but “Crash” is a film about progress.

the old, yay, we are all the same, homogenising statement. and, they were not racist because they didn’t know any better! not every group lived in total isolation. even if they didn’t find another race to torment, there were always other countries and their people to plunder and discriminate against.

but as jon stewart said on oscar night after the footage of black people and oppression as illustrated by the cinema, ‘and it never happened again’.

it is still here, especially if you’re not protected by a wadful of money and white priviledge.

okay, done now.

I’m unusually infuriated over Crash winning. It’s not as if I have a vested interest in what film wins, but Crash wasn’t even worthy of inclusion with the other films on the ballot. It’s a love letter to regular, God-fearing Americans who could suddenly feel good about themselves because they weren’t quite as histrionically racist as the caricatures in the film. Matt Dillon was great as a racist prick cop who turns out to be an American Hero after all! Please. It’s like an after-school special. Roger Ebert has been inexplicably pushing this film for months, claiming it inspires debate. What debate is possible when a film hammers you over the ehad with the message “Racism Is Bad”? Who would disagree? White Supremacists, I guess, but debating them is somewhat pointless and you wouldn’t want to go out for dinner with them to begin with.
Crash is a perfect awards-season movie: it congratulates liberals for being liberal, points out obvious truths with somber, faux-Enya music and allows many name actors to take small “edgy” roles with much scenery chewing. Capote and Brokeback were both much, much better films, and I really liked Good Night and Good Luck. I haven’t seen Munich, but even knowing how ham-handed as Spielberg can be, it’s gotta be better than Crash. Off the top of my head I can think of another 5 films that were far superior to Crash: History of Violence, Junebug, Walk The Line, The Squid and The Whale, Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and King Kong. That’s 6!Kong was a terrible omission on Oscar night. It won technical awards, but should have at least been nominated for picture, director, editing, and lead actress by a female. It’s uncommonly good, and all the people who didn’t see it in theatres will rent it and sit slack-jawed at its sights.
I thought all of the acting nominations were spot-on this year, though, even if I disagreed with the winners. Lots of indie fare.
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.