There’s lots of talk of Crash being the ultimate race relations movie in LA.
I disagree.
There was another movie that actually intersected race with class and sexism. It even included a portrayal of the homeless population (which I’m not sure how you could have a movie in LA with no homeless people.)
It had a limited release in 1997. The protagonist wasn’t a white guy or a black guy or even a guy, but an Asian-American woman.
The name of the film is The Bang Theory. It was written and directed by Ash.
In the film an unsuccessful actress (is there any other kind) a character called “girlâ€, played by Darling Narita shows the audience Los Angeles.
In the film opening unnamed girl has just gotten thrown out of her apartment for not paying rent and her landlord couldn’t even just throw her out. He has to throw her out and call her racial slurs as he does it, because for some reason even now in LA you can be real open about racial slurs against Asian people.
She has one last chance an audition and in LA fashion it goes horribly (this is real LA, no one ever makes it real LA, unless their parents are someone.)
Anyway she “somehow†gets a hold of a cop’s motorcycle, uniform, and gun and takes a journey across LA from East LA, South Central, and West LA.
The best movie ever on race relations, class, and gender in LA.
A refreshingly strong Asian-American woman lead whose character has nothing to do with martial arts.
A Los Angeles treasure.
Rent it. Love it. Have a discourse party. I used to do that in college, but I was weird.
Browne Molyneux
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LOL. Crash was craptacular. It got L.A. “right” the way American History X portrayed Venice.
Lots of people liked American History X, I had issues with it, but I understood why some people liked it. It was kind of like white working class people’s representation in Los Angeles on the big screen. It was dumb, but it was something…I often think Boys in the Hood was kind of cheesy, but again it was a side that was never presented before.
Working class people need more representation on the big screen and not as stereotypes, but as complete human beings.
I think people will watch good movies if given the opportunity.
Browne
Mike Davis wrote CRASH.
Yeah, I’m with you on the working class white thing. I’m not entirely objective about this one because I grew up where the film was made, and it got really old having people assume everyone in my hood was a nazi after that movie came out.
It was unfortunate that American History X painted Venice in that light to certain people.
Venice is so far from that. And that movie I could tell was trying to say so much more than that, but you know sensatioonalized Hollywood bs, much more fun to focus in on the Nazi thing than the “we’ve got no money and it truly pisses me off” thing. That way you can dismiss what economic oppression does to people. I think corporate capitalism has a vested interested in painting this picture of America as a pull yourself up by your bootstrap kind of a place and those that don’t well they are just kind of social deviants or Nazis or commies or crips or 18th street or lazy….
The reason there was working class people in Venice was because it’s one of the very few truly liberal beach cities. I am always suspect of places like San Fran who pretend to be so liberal, but makes their stuff so cost prohibitive only one kind of person can live there: the rich kind.
It’s real easy to play the vegan, greeney, we’re so open minded thing in a place where everyone is loaded. Now Venice open minded there is (or sadly was) way more real, it’s hard work. You have well off and poor, all ethnicities, it used to be alot more so, but you know what I’m saying, you got that many different kind of people living together and you still manage to vote Democrat as a block, that’s pretty special.
I love Venice. It’s one of the very few beach cities I would live in. I would live in Pedro too.
Browne
Great film! I loved this when it first came out. Even bought the (really excellent ska, some in Spanish, too) soundtrack! I list this on my blog as one of my fav. LA films. Some really good shots of Silver Lake before expensive boutiques, gelato and valet parking multiplied like crazy!
Up there with Repo Man on my list!
In top five of my favorite movies. I like the old Silver Lake shots in this too.