Turned Upside Down
The day after her horrific encounter with Officer Ryan, Christine is involved in a serious car accident. She is trapped inside her vehicle, which is flipped upside down and leaking gasoline. Haggis uses this image as a metaphor for how Christine’s life has, in the past 24 hours, been turned upside down. Following Ryan’s attack, Christine is literally and symbolically trapped inside a burning vehicle. Her marriage is greatly harmed by the events that transpired the night before, and she wonders if things with Cameron will ever return to normal. Additionally, this image demonstrates Christine’s awareness of her powerlessness. She must ultimately be subservient to her aggressor in order to save herself. At the same time, Ryan is forced to confront the repercussions of his brutal actions.
Snowfall
In sunny Los Angeles, snowfall is incredibly rare. However, in the final scene, we see snow falling. Haggis uses the image of snow for various reasons. First, it signals that Crash depicts things on a metaphorical or heightened level. Though grounded in truth, this story goes to extreme measures in order to give a dramatized perspective of racial conflicts in Los Angeles. Additionally, snow indicates the winter season and plays into the Christmas motif. Finally, snow reflects the cold demeanor of many of the film’s characters and their relations between one another.
Lights
Throughout the film, a series of blurred, abstracted lights fill the entire frame. Most often, lighting is manipulated in the moments leading up to or immediately following a car crash. These lights are meant to indicate disorientation and create a sense of mystery. Through this lighting choice, the trauma of the moments post-crash are translated to the viewer, and we are reminded of our own mortality.
Farhad and the Dumpster
The morning after his store is broken into and vandalized, Farhad and his family clean up what remains. During his discussion with the insurance representative, we learn that the store symbolically represents Farhad’s sustenance and purpose of his life in America. In the alley behind his store, Farhad walks to the dumpster to discard the last bag that contains his store’s remains. When Farhad throws this bag in the trash, we understand that he gives up his dream of a better life in America. After finding Daniel’s contact information in the same dumpster, it is clear that Farhad attempts to restore his family’s honor by avenging his supposed enemy.
