Intercultural communication occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures communicate. The transactional process of listening and responding to people from a different cultural background can be challenging. In this paper I am going to address the movie Crash and analyze the intercultural barriers and diversity issues presented in the movie.
The movie Crash was written and directed by Paul Haggis and originally debuted in 2004. The movie then went on to win three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing of 2005 at the 78th Academy Awards. The idea behind the film is that we meet several different characters in several different walks of life, and as their stories play out, we see how they affect each other, and how their perceptions of the other characters affect their actions and attitudes.
A wide range of cultures are presented throughout the film. There is a Persian shopkeeper named Farhad, a Mexican-American locksmith named Daniel Ruiz, an African-American television director named Cameron Thayer; his African-American wife named Christine Thayer, and a white cop named John Ryan.
Daniel Babka
Daniel Buren
Sec'y. Daniels & Gov. Glynn, 1914 (LOC)Most of them are shown to have prejudices against other cultures, while at the same time feeling like victims of prejudice.
While the entire movie consists of intercultural barriers, there are two scenes in particularthat stands out in my mind. For example the Persian shopkeeper, Farhad, and his daughter Dorriventure out to buy a gun to protect Farhad's store; the only thing he and his family have. Oncethey arrive at the gun shop, Frahad starts talking to the owner's daughter in his native Persianabout purchasing a gun. The owner becomes frustrated with Farhad's cultural language andmakes stereotypical assumptions that Farhad is an Arab and a terrorist. Irritated with the gunshop owner's attitude,Intercultural Barriers 3Dorri jumps into the conversation...