Friday, March 14, 2008

C R A S H

A movie like CRASH, situates itself around car crashes and the ANGER that is activated by them. Anger manifests itself in various ways. Anger, is the result of deep-rooted fear and hurt. Society tells us that we are 'not good enough'. It suggests that we are 'bad'. How does it do this? By putting us into neat little, controllable boxes. If you are a boy, you must be the best you can be. Play the best sport. Be competitive. Be a good father, son, breadwinner, sportsman, professional,etc. Girls are told early on, that there are certain expected roles and chores. Girls are also terrified of the potential to be stigmatised and labelled as deviant by society. These are internalised. And the deviation brings with it the fear of being seen as 'bad', ie unworthy. Self worth is questioned. This in turn has negative implications for constructions of identity. The pain of inferiority becomes frustration. This in turn becomes anger. Anger has companions. Like prejudice. Conforming to the convenient box that society has labelled for us, makes us feel safe. I may say to you that I am not a racist. But what does this mean? And can that be tested, for example, when I am put under pressure? When anger is activated?
But then, can that be tested, for example, in a matter of life and death?

First, I would like to hear what you think about the movie. How did it make you feel, watching a contemporary depiction of life in LA. And do you think that these examples might relate to our local context? Discuss some of the people or situations in the movie both in terms of how these played out, and how they might have made sense to you. Keep in mind the discussions throughout this course.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think it was an excellent movie that shows the extent of racism. i was shocked by how deep and real racism is nowadays. the movie gave me a real reflection on the way people have to live their lives in fear because of the colour of their skin. the little girl who was completly oblivious to the racial issues, found herself caught in the middle in her fathers world. another shocking part of the movie was the woman who was sexually exploited by the police officer in the presence of husband. this is the height of destroying ones dignity. in my opinion irrespective of her husband being put in a tough situation of racism, he should have stood up for his wife and himself.

these examples is an eye opener to the problems of discrimination in our sociey. although we live in a free country we still experience the height of racism. the black police officer was forced to take the job so that his brother could be saved from going to prison. this situation is complicated because the officer had to choose between his job and the love for his brother.

it was an interesting movie, that is an eye-opener to being who suffer the consequences of being discrimimnated.

207527416

Anonymous said...

The movie made me feel emotional especially the part that depicted a women being sexually abused in front of her husband. I fully think that these examples relates to the South African society, as we all know that the South African society is a culturally diverse society. Basically different racial, cultural, ethnic and class groups hate each other. White police man at all times had believed that he was not racist, but because of stereotyping he proved to be racist. The white rich women had always complained at all times about the work than by her domestic worker, but at the end of the film they end up being friends.

Anonymous said...

think it was a really good movie showing how much of an issue racism still is. it was a an eye opener for me since it went against my assumption that racism was no longer a major issue. i think people are still influenced by past experiences for instance, one of the guys who was involved in the hijacking at in the begining of the movie continually spoke about the inequalities between black and white people.the movie clearly depicts the effect of our skin color on our lives and we are percieved and treated by others. people assume things about a particular race group without truley giving themselves the opportunity to try an understand diversity.

Therosha
205517832

Anonymous said...

i think the people in the movie didnt really choose to be racist,rather, it was something learned.in the scene in which the African Amerian women was in an accident, the guy who previously assaulted her seemed genuinely concerned for her safety.

Therosha
205517832

Anonymous said...

I think that it was an excellent movie, a real eye opener. this movie excellently portrayed the issue of racism and unequal treatment. It also points out that racism manifests itself through all forms of society. this movie evoked alot of emotion in me, especially at the scene were the woman was sexually abused in front of her husband by a policeman, it brought up an intense feeling of anger in me because the police are supposed to protect people, not violate and sexually abuse them.

R Moodley
206 500 578

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the movie as I felt dat it does depict not only lyf in contempoary LA but life in SA as well.I say this as with the affirmative action that was taking place is the same as that of the one in this country. I however also want to state that I also enjoyed the movie as it was able to bring out the concept or idea that all that happens or that we decide to do in our lives,has a ripple affect.ie what we do or decide to do will in turn affect not only the individual but that person's family,society and eventually life events.I think the movie also highlighted the idea that with experience in living life ie experiencing pain,hurt,love etc, one tends to become alot more critical in life and tends to become what other people may view as being arrogant.The movie also highlighted how people across racial and cultural lines can be similar or enjoy the same things but because of our prejudices,biases&stereotypes, we become closed off.This then creates boundaries of which sometimes it takes a life in order to realise that we are all the same despite our race,age or culture. Hence we need to become open minded and try to change our biases and assumptions.

Anonymous said...

crash was a good example of racism as it brought up many underlying feelings and issues that some people may have towards people of other races.even though you may not think that you are racist or may not want to be racist you may be brought up in such a way that you contain racist feelings.for instance when the white woman was walking with her husband and saw the black guys walking towards them her first instinct was a feeling of uneasyness,but because she did not want to seem racist she disregarded those feelings and she was wrong in doing so.that does not mean that black people are thieves or robbers but it does suggest that one should always trust their instincts even if they feel foolish or awkward in doing so.206519382

Anonymous said...

I think it was a great movie as I felt that it was a reflection of what happens not only in LA but in SA as well.Affrmitive action IN LAis viewed the same as in SA where people are quickto think dat if a person of colour is in power then that person is probably incompetent etc. I also felt that the movie touched on the harchness of life or the harchness &cold conditions that we as individuals in our everyday live,train ourselves to become isolate&closed off to people around us whom we see and live with on a daily basis.The movie aslso hightlights the fact that we are more or less the same but due to the experiences we have with other people,we dont allow ourselves to give other people the benefit of the doubt&when we do want to give people the benefit of a doubt,its probably too late.The movie teaches us to not compartmentalise ourselves and the way we thionk but to try to challenge our assumptions and biases.
ps:I posted a similar comment but it was alot longer.The problem is I forgot to put down myIDENTIFYING details (SORRY)
206516506

Anonymous said...

I also felt very upset and angry when the policeman sexually assaulted the lady.This further hightlighted the fact that corruption has plagued the entire bureaucratic system and that one one can be safe anymore.It aslo makes me understand why people take the law into their own hands or for having vigilantee groups.Im not saying its right to take the law into your hands but at the same time,people act out because they know the sometimes the law will do little or nothing to help them.This truly sadens me.
206516506
N.P. MAJOLA

Anonymous said...

The movie gave me a true reflection about what my society is going throught and what does the colour of your skin have to say about the you andthe other perosn. I think it made us realise that this struggle are not happening.

206506799

Anonymous said...

The movie reminds me how angry I am about what is happening in society and even more so because everything that happened in the movie is true and is happening in society. With the issues around race, it’s upsetting to think that you must bight your lip when racial abuse or discrimination happens to you. And the anger builds up because of the deep-rooted hurt, this was shown by the husband whose wife was assaulted by the policeman, he kept quiet and didn’t act the first time and the second time he was pulled over his reaction was over the top because of the build up of anger. All the situations that the characters found themselves in where all intertwined with issues of anger, insecurity, prejudice, racism and self worth. These issues were also successfully represented in the way that all the characters were all inter-linked with one another on each others lives. Most of the male characters had other responsibilities, being a good father and husband, in their lives that did not allow them to act on their emotions of how they felt at that moment, leving them feeling like that they were "unworthy" and could not protect thier loved ones. The movie really challenges people to look at this is what society is like and at the same time it does not guide us to favor a particular character but allows people to see themselves in characters.

206516466 (Ngema)

Anonymous said...

i think the movie was enlightening but at the same time sad. the way people are treated based upon their skin colour is degrading and morally wrong. however it wasnt entirely a new scenario than that of our local context. the same kind of events unfold in our commnunities as well.it also points out that these are global issues and not just confined to a specific nation or country. it happens all over the world just varies in its degree. i personally feel that the society in which we associate ourselves with, hugely impact these factors such as racism, anger and prejuduice etc. it is also societies 'expectations' which influences these events.

Anonymous said...

FINALLY!!!! i had many problems logging onto this site. on many occassions it said user not found and things like that. however now i found it has had a look around and find it very interesting and exciting. i think it will be a huge success. but i also found a little tricky figuring how to use it. it should have more instructions

Anonymous said...

Firstly I thought Crash was a good movie in that it showed us how sick and narrow minded us people can be, racism is just an obstacle to the success of a community (or even country). The underlying flaw in all the characters (and perhaps in people) is misinterpretation and the lack of understanding eg. White policeman and black hitch-hiker; shop owner and Hispanic locksmith. People seem too quick to judge upon inaccurate assumptions which are often made even more complicated by stereotypes, history and mass media. I am also hesitant to acknowledge that the movie depicts real life society, one needs to remember that movies are always dramatized to keep the viewer interested.

Anonymous said...

Above comment was from 206504772 at 17:33

Anonymous said...

The above student comments seem rash and arbitrary. “in my opinion irrespective of her husband being put in a tough situation of racism, he should have stood up for his wife and himself”. What exactly could the African-American gentlemen have done? If he had just murmured an aggravated response he could have been beaten, arrested and a criminal record filed against his name if not more. I feel he correctly used his intelligence in the situation and not his feelings. “Basically different racial, cultural, ethnic and class groups hate each other”. This is a completely bogus and untrue statement and is asking for trouble. “Affirmative action that was taking place is the same as that of the one in this country”. In the U.S. those receiving benefits from “affirmative action” are the minority and not the ruling race, the opposite occurs in S.A. along with other major differences.

206504772
R. Andraos

Anonymous said...

i think it was a really good movie that captured exactly what racism was like in LA. it honestly arose emotional feelings for me. this movie has a society that depicts stereotype which may exist till today. blacks were always associated with crime and violence and many scenes in the movie portrayed this. for instance the scene were sandra pulls her husband closer when she notices to black men walking towards them and moments later they get hijacked. the most disturbing scene for me was when the poice officer sexually harasses athe black woman infront of her husband. i was angry and frustrated to think that, that was the way in which black people had to live because of society and its norms that they imposed on us.

206501197
c. govender

Anonymous said...

the movie was a harsh reminder of how racism influences the way we act and think about the world around us.....we fail to realise that we are all the same no matter type of skin colour we have. i also found that people categorise and stereotype others superficially. what i didnt understand was how sandra bullocks character fits into the film......am i right in saying that she uses her hijacking incident to justify her anger towards her workers and house-keeper.....than realising how lonely she is in the world.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely enjoyed the movie from the start. It was very fast paced and focused around all the issues that bring about aou assumptions about raciam, culture and identity. From the comments above I have noticed that the most intence scene was where the women was sexually exploited by the police officer in front of her husband. I was also very touched by this scence as it showed the limit to which racism and prejudice can go and the emotional scar it gives to the victims. This movie did a great job in challenging the way we assume important soceital issues like racism and prejudice.

Ameera Essack
206505243

Anonymous said...

This movie was not at all what i had expected it to be. it simply touched on my emotions like where the little girl had jumped infront of her dad to save him from being shot and the white man had shot the black man becuase he assumed that the black man wanted to kill him. i couold not believe that so many people have to go through hardships and racism esspecilly in a country like LA because we have the idea that only country goes through it. every character in the movie had to deal with some problem and each was different from the other. the issue of racism was very dominant throught like the arab family who suffered a lot because they spoke arabic and also because of their religion. then there was the idea that the rich was better than the poor and they felt so much more superior that others. some of the characters were angry and took out their anger on the wrong people.
over all this was an excellent movie and was worth the while.
206506049

Anonymous said...

crash was an interesting movie.what interested me mostly was that because white people were scared of black people, whenever they saw them walking on the same dirrection they would cross the road was the reason why the two black gentlemen decided to hijack them. it was not something they had planned to do, but it was like the environment expected them to be like that, so they acted on it.205522264 S.N Xulu

Anonymous said...

I think that this was a very good movie because it showed that race is still an assertive issue in contemporary society. It also displayed the harsh underlying realities that people hold about race. The movie was good because it dealt with issues and experiences of people that still occur in many societies today.

The movie made me feel very emotional because knowing that we live in a democratic society, i was sad to see that race is still an issue for people. It was sad to see that race creates boundaries between human beings and that race is rooted in biology, that is skin colour. It was surprising to see that people still use racial characteristics to discriminate people, for example, in the movie when the white women sees the two black guys she quickly holds her husbands hand because she perceives them as a threat. This creates the notion that all black people are thieves and a danger. In this instance, race allows for the attachment of stigma nad categorizes people.

These examples in the film relates totally to the South African context. Drawing on the harsh laws of apartheid, race is and will continue to draw boundaries between people of different races. Even in South Africa, crime is associated with black people. People still clutch onto their handbag/belongings when they are in a vicinity with black people just as the white woman in the movie did. Issues from the movie definitely can can be associated within our local context.

Some of the situations in the film portrayed racial experiences which are still prevalent in society, even though segregatory laws have long been abandoned. It was unscrupolous for the white man to touch and caress the black woman's body in the presence of her husband. Because the police officer was white, the husband did not even object. This portrayed the image of white superiority as opposed to black inferiority. It also created the image of the black woman as being subservient to the white man.It also dehumanizes and tarnishes her identity. Another situation was the the racial tension between the persian and hispanic men. there was tension because the persian man misinterpreted what the hispanic man was saying. The little girl is completely unaware of racial discrimination, yet she is caught up in the middle of that racial misunderstanding. Also music is categorized in the film. for example: the black man refers to country music as being associated with whites and he makes the statement that blacks are linked with nigger music. Again, this brings to light the demarcation that race creates. Another situation was where the black police officer speaks about how blacks have to work hard and how easy it is for the white man to get a job. This highlights the status of superiority that the white race is awarded with and how black people are perceived as the "other".

This movie brought to surface that racial tension and discrimination exists within all contexts. It also made me aware that people still hold onto stereotypes such as whites are superior whilst blacks are inferior and associating crime and other social ills with blacks. It also brought to the forefront of affairs that race is seen as a marker of identity, personality and physical attributes.
A.khan 206505048

Anonymous said...

The following movie was an eye opener for some but for me, it was a reality that still occurs here in South Africa. Some parts did make me angry where people always choose to blame one race rather than taking resposibility for themselves.

by watching this movie, it also makes one aware that even in the most developed of countries, prejudice still occurs. i also think these examples are very closely realated to the south african context. the example that is close to SA, is the scene where the cop degrades the black driver and his wife, this also occurs in south africa, where people when given a alittle power tend to abuse it. another every powerful scene, was when the white women holds onto her husband on seeing two black men, this is a typical mind set even in South Africa, were a single negative incident classes an entire race.

(206503617)

Anonymous said...

i felt the movie was fast paced,realistic yet harsh. after a few scenes i couldn't take it. it was to violent, racist, and intense. its shocking to see what happens all over the world or in this country.

it relates to SA in the sense black males are always associated with stealing, hi-jacking.. as criminals seen in the movie when ludacris holds people up for their vehicles. also the perception that black people are incompetent as seen by when the white guy tells the black female supervisor off.

there were many racial interactions and stereotypes
(1) black people don't pay tips.
(2) white woman reaction to black boys a certain amount of fear when near them.
(3) the fear of being hijacked people then fear their life at home and change locks.
(4) sexual harassment can be swept under the carpet if the victims are threatened. they lose their dignity and are psychologically tramatised- she was haraased and then saved by the same guy!!!!!
(5)often a miscommunication between foreigners/ immigrants. between the locksmith and persian man was unclear understanding.
(6) ludacris and his friend felt that taking a bus reduced them or if they were to play hockey.
(7) the persian family were mistaken as arab. the shop had been vandalised and labelled them as 'ragheads'.
these scenes show that language, race, culture can be exploited and abused by others. ther eis no respect and acknowledgement of people from other races and cultures. if there were that understanding and respect it would be a better world to live in.
205507197 lachman J

Anonymous said...

"Crash" excellently depicted the realities of racisim and how it influences our day to day lives. This movie can be related to our local context because we stll deal with racism in our country. Many people in South Africa have grown up during Apartheid which was a racist society. These notions of racial inferiority and superiority have been internalised by people who have grown up during this period. Therefore our interaction with people of other races can sometimes be bias without us being aware of it. "Crash" highlighted these prejudices within society. The reaction of the politician's wife to the hijacking committed by the two black men only confirmed her already present racial attitudes. "Crash" showed how crime can influence racist attitudes within a society.

205519544

Anonymous said...

the movie was really good and it depicted racial differences very good. what really fires me up and is a real important issues, is the fact that everyone felt the anger and emotional feelings in the scene were the african american woman was sexually assualted, but what about all the thousands of women that get raped in our country daily? we had a case were an international student was raped in our residents. why dont we care that much for other cases of women being assulted? this has nothing to do with race because women of all different race groups get raped and assualted. i just feel the need for us as men, to stand up and have some respect and integrity for women. men who do things like that are cowards!!

we need to move on with racial issues because we are the future of this country and need to lead the way foward in creating a better future in the sense of racial differences.

the movie created a sense of real disappointment and emotional shame in me, for how can one person decide that he or she is more superior to others? we are all the same, some different shapes and sizes but humans beings in the end? is a bird not a bird if it has feathers of a different colour??

L.Pretorius
206517851

Anonymous said...

The movie was an interesting movie that for me depicted fears that I do have and I could really relate to the characters in fear. I do feel as though I am much safer at home, far from the ghettos and when I see random people I do have the fear, even though they are ‘black’ like me. The people in LA are in different worlds, the poor in their own and the rich in their own and if you find when either of the two happen to be in one area there is chaos. The rich “white and blacks” live in their own perfect world but the poor black live in the shady black neighborhoods. People are working hard to move from the ghetto into the better suburbs, like the guy who is a locksmith. This way of society is just like that of South Africa because what is happening in LA is just like what happens in South Africa. People are afraid of Black people and there is still allot of racism, as when the little of things happen i.e. conflict in the shop the racism starts as people start voicing their opinions. You have allot of people, including myself who have had a white more then black upbringing and find it difficult to interact and understand other black people. We find ourselves looking down at black people and always trying to please the whites because rebelling doesn’t get you anywhere, just like the black movie producer in the movie. The white lady in the movie and her stereotyping the locksmith guy is something that I would really relate to because one judges people in terms of their looks and its amazing how that white women found out in the end that her true friends was the cleaner and not those who are rich that pretend to be her true friend. Most of the people that one sees as friends are not always ones true friends.

205520575

Anonymous said...

looking at crash made me realise that we are living in a corrupt and unjust society that people die or get abused for being white or black when they had no choice of colour when they were born. Crash highlights sensitive issues that exist in contemporary SA and gives a true idication of how intense these issues are becuase people die.
The are many insecurities that an individual alone might about hi-herself about ethnic issues and how people are degraded beacause of fear through a uniform. Hw is one suppose to trust a policemen if they alone abuse their power how are we to live in safety when we fear those that should protect us. Recently in Eastern two policemen were arrested on hijacking a combi in uniform so tell what is going on here. Crash unveils true reality at its worst or best an eye opener to many South Africans.
T Miya 206513729

Anonymous said...

The rape scene where the white man, sexually assaulted the black woman, brought out feelings of so much anger in me. I'm still angered by the scene it's as though I actually saw 'it' happening for real. I'm still angry, infact I just wish I never ever see anything like this again.To a certain extent, such MOVIES, open our eyes to what is happening in society but i never get any lessons from them. Apartheid & racism (against all races)is like the devil's work of art, that doesn't (& is likely not to ever go away) instead it takes many forms. It happens often in our daily lives, in how ever extreme or small ways, but because we are so afraid of 'it' we are forced to treat it like a 'normal' thing. It is vey frustrating to even think about.

Precious Majola
206508899

Anonymous said...

i think that the movie does relate to a south african context because if we see some 'african' people on the street we automatically think that they are going to rob us.

or if we hear a story about someone who had been robbed or raped... we instantly assume, without even finding out all of the details, that it was a 'black' person.

i think that the reason for this is the mindset wIth which we have been brought up with.

is a person who makes thesE judgements and auuumptions a RACIST?

Reesha Kara
206506958

san said...

i think it was a good movie that showed both sides of racsim in U.SA.
It Showed the misconception or preconception that white people have regarding African american's And native american people.i think that this also occurs in south africa, from my conversation's with paticular white people, like if they see i black person they think that they may rob them, i think that preconception that people have about people of different races and that each person black,white Asian etc should be judged on their own individual merit.
205514424 Motilal

Anonymous said...

The movie angered me a a lot but at the same time I learnt from it that identity is something that people view as highly important. Even with those who don't view it as such- identity still plays a large role in their lives although they may not be aware of it - (In this case identity is used interchangeably with 'race')

I wouldn't say I was shocked by what I saw. I am very much aware of the existence of racism not only in South Africa but also in the so called developed nations. I think the problem is that we like to assume things about other 'races', we like stereotyping people different from us instead of sitting down with them and engaging in a conversation in order to learn about them and their cultures.Most importantly learn that no 'race' is homogenous.

Through the main theme (race) we are shown how we view those of a different 'race' as the "other"
Racism was shown to be a complicated issue. For example at one point the white police officer was shown sexually assaulting Christine (a black woman) but the next day he is the very same person who saves this blackwoman from death. Does this mean 'race' is context specific?

I don't think so, a racist is always a racist. The white police officer helped Christine only because he felt guilty about what he had done, and yes he was merely doing his work - he had to.

I think that anger brings out the true self. Rick's wife was a racist even before the incident.

The characters of the two white police officers gave us a good depiction of how race is learnt. Racism is something that you learn from home, school, church etc - it is dependent on the social institutions around you. If your parents are racist they will instill those beliefs in you, and you are likely to internalize them, but if they aren't racist then you have a slim chance of becoming a racist. In short - Racism is learnt and internalised.

LB Khumalo
205500409

Anonymous said...

Crash was beautifully made...

Racism is still alive and yes it can be tested; many say they are not racist, well they believe they are not but when put to the test (like the white police guy) of life and death or they are under pressure their true nature is reveal. In crash, if the guy in the car with the police man was white, would he have shot him? Would he have thought that he was taking out a gun? These are the type of questions you tend to ask yourself.

The racist cop did not learn racism from home (I actually think his father was not racist) but he was angry and he blamed all his problems on black people (he said they took everything from his father), and the funny thing is black people are saying the same thing about the whites, racism is just a cycle of who should we blame, who should be inferior and nobody wants to be inferior.hence , can't we are just be equals.

205516180
Thobile Gumede

Anonymous said...

Crash was beautifully made...

Racism is still alive and yes it can be tested; many say they are not racist, well they believe they are not but when put to the test (like the white police guy) of life and death or they are under pressure their true nature is reveal. In crash, if the guy in the car with the police man was white, would he have shot him? Would he have thought that he was taking out a gun? These are the type of questions you tend to ask yourself.

The racist cop did not learn racism from home (I actually think his father was not racist) but he was angry and he blamed all his problems on black people (he said they took everything from his father), and the funny thing is black people are saying the same thing about the whites, racism is just a cycle of who should we blame, who should be inferior and nobody wants to be inferior.hence , can't we are just be equals.

205516180
Thobile Gumede

Anonymous said...

Well for me the movie showed a whole different perspective of life which i thought i knew but i did not have the full knowldege just based on the few assumpitions i had especially on racism. The movie showed me that the people who are really racist are the ones who are not and thosewho think are not racist are really racist. If i can an example from the movie; the cop that showed most racism was not really racist because he helped the lady whom he sexually harrassed and the 'good' or 'non-racist' showed that he was racist just by assuming that black guys carry guns to kill white people. The whole movie was showing how blacks and whites fear each other & at a reflex mo,ent they do something whing which is considered to be racially wrong.

205516430

Anonymous said...

first I would just like to express my problems with the internet..thats why i havent been able to comment for so long and im sure other people have had similar problems.

About Crash...the movie is intense and fast moving and the first time i watched it i became really emotional about it...seeing the racism and the sexual abuse of the african woman made me angry. The more i watch the movie (this is like my second time) the more interesting it becomes and i have come to realise that what it really does for me is break down stereotypes. When the movie begins and we first meet the characters (such as the two white policemen-the one suposedly the racist and the other not), we make decisions about them-we box them and make assumptions about them (or apply stereotypes to them). However as we get to know the characters more and as we see them in different contexts we realise that perhaps our assumptions about them and our understanding of them was not right, or was misinformed. For example the white policeman who sexually assaults the african woman we construct as a white racist arrogant prick...to be straightforwardd. Later we learn that in another context (when he saves the same women and puts his life at risk for her) we realise that he is capable of deep concern for someone of a different racial group. we also learn of the difficulties he has in his home life and although we do not condone his original behaviour...we cannot be sure which identity that is presented to us is true. i guess this links to ideas of diaspora identites.

All im saying is that we cannot judge people in real life, or in the movie just be making a judegement based on one moment, because at times we are all racist, and at other times we may not be. Maybe in order to decrease racism we need to break our assumptions about others and try to really understand all of them.

Ashton Fraser
206501331

Anonymous said...

i think that the movie was an excellent depiction of life.after watching the movie i was very emotional and scared because the movie was a true depiction of life in south africa. people treat others, me included according to what they think of you, according to their own social constructions. and also that people who are in superior positions like police take advantage of people by mistreating othres, but what they fail to understand is that they are also human just like others, that they are also vulnerable. therefore it is almost as if we refer to the other human being as something different we don't realise that we are all the same, we all have the same emotions and feelings.

N.B Shube
206515950

Anonymous said...

I think the movie was rather disturbing. It dealt with very serious and conflicting issues, that are not only relevant to L.A but every where in the world. it is disturbing to think of what human beings are capable of doing to each other. It is a satisfying, sadist view of reality

Anonymous said...

I think the movie was excellent. It dealt with very serious, conflicting issues. It is disturbing to realise what harm human beings are capable of inflicting on others. I was impressed by the directors raw expressive way od telling the characters stories. He has mastered the art of showing a sadist part of reality in our society.

Preadhashnee
205510999

Anonymous said...

206513048
I really enjoyed the movie and it really get you to think about ho wociety have given us these labels and how we have adapted to it and have sociallisd it within ourselves to the extent that we cannot seem to live without it and we even identify ourselves in those labels.The notion of how these labels are dominating our minds to an extent of failing to look into deeper into what the person is all about without using the race,gender as a label,and how we then generallise everyone with that label that we give to those people by using an experience that we once had with people we categorise the same way.Even those who try to say that they are not racist they still have the same fears that these people share we cal racist have for e.g the white cop that couldnt work with his partner for he felt he was 'racist' ended up killing the black guy because the urge of being with a black person in a car was in his mind and he was anxious that the guy might be out to kill him that he immediately thought of taking his gun out when the guy was reaching for a toy that he thought that it might have been a gun.

It also make you realise that there are still people who identify themselves with these labels and insist on how diifferent they are to other people by using these labels.

A lot of us still judge other people by their identity and do not give them a chance to explore them outside race,gender etc so what happens in the movies may have been shot in LA but it is much typical on our own local communities.