Homework

Anti Narrative - A text that challenges the traditional idea of a sequential linear narrative by using flashbacks, unrelated images and altered time sequences.

This can be linked to my study as Crash constantly changes between its multiple story lines and also at the beginning of the film the audience is shown a suspected murder scene which then follows on to a flashback of 'yesterday' - which would explain to the audience how this event occur ed.

Genre - A category of media products classed as being similar in form and type.

Crash belongs to the Crime/Drama genre

Ideology - A set of attitudes, beliefs and values held in common by a group of people and culturally reproduced within that community to sustain its particular way of life. e.g. capitalism and communism

Crash presents a variety of ideologies which include Patriarchal, Heterosexual,Political and Feminist

Mise en scene - The arrangement by a film maker of everything that is to be included in a shot or frame. This includes settings, props, decor, lighting, actors, characters, positioning and all other technical elements which contribute to the look of the scene and create its distinctive quality and unity.

This is used in each storyline to create an abrupt visual break when cutting between characters and arcs. As crash has multiple story lines each one happening at a different place, mise on scene is important as it also reflects the characters background. i.e. Rick and Christine & Christine and Cameron 's houses show that they both may have had a more privileged upbringing as they live in large houses.

Levi Strauss - French structuralist anthropologist whose analysis of human culture and myth argued for a common origin for all narratives, based on shared human life experience, fears and expectation.His narrative theory of binary opposition is based on the essential difference between such concepts.

In Crash binary oppositions have been used. e.g. black and white and victim and aggressor.

Propp, Vladimir - Writer and folklorist who analysed the structure of folk stories. He refers to the types of character in folk tales and the events that involve them. Propp's character types include: the hero, the villain, the false hero and the helper.

In Crash the villain would be Officer John Ryan as he molested a black woman during a routine stop, but he can later be seen as a hero as he saves her from a car crash. The helper would be Officer Tom Hansen as he helps to stop a confrontation that could have got some one killed but he also can be seen as a villain as he 'accidentally murders' a black man.

Prejudice - The pre - judging of an issue or social group, usually in a negative or stereotypical way. Prejudice often involves the targeting of vulnerable minority groups viewed as not conforming to mainstream norms or expectations.

Officer Ryan is considered a prejudiced characters because of his views towards black people another example is Jean Cabot who refers to the Mexican locksmith as being a 'gangbanger'.

Racism - Practices and behaviour involving social and economic discrimination, based on the false assumption that one particular ethnic group or race is culturally and biologically inferior to another.

Jean Cabot appears to be racially insecure when being car jacked, partly because of her assumptions of black people, and their race is inferior to hers. Also Anthony is constantly paranoid about racism however his friend Peter humorously mocks him and seems less worried about racism.

Stereotype - The social classification of a group of people by identifying common characteristics and universally applying them in an often oversimplified and generalised way, such that the classification represents value judgments and assumptions about the group concerned.

Anthony and Peter represent black youths, who are feared because of their stereotype, this also includes the Mexican locksmith and it could also relate to social stereotypes. Officer Ryan is an example of a stereotypical white cop who is racist towards black people.

Social realism - The representation of characters and issues in film and television drama in such a way as to raise serious underlying social and political issues.

The director tries to represent issues in a realistic way, as racism is a topic mostly avoided, however the issues show realisticly represent American society at present day.