Crash DVD chapter headings and plot summary

The list of chapter headings below gives you a rough idea of the structure of the plot. Note that there are actually 60 scenes. Also take note of how skillfully Haggis weaves all these different scenes together. Another important task is to trace the character arc of some of the lead characters like Cameron and Antony, Jean and Farhad. The next blog entry will look at editing and character arcs.

1. Credits/Frame of reference

• Accident scene - Graham and Ria's car rear-ended by Korean woman, Kim Lee. Ria argues with Kim Lee and mocks her English while Graham crosses to other side and speaks to officer. A "dead kid" has been found in the scrub. Graham looks at shoe and then into the distance. The shot is held, the screen fades to white and then to a wide shot of LA with Yesterday superimposed

2. Fear

• Gunshop.Farhad - angry - with help of Dorri is buying a gun. Speaking in Parsi, accused of being a terrorist by the shop owner, sent out of shop. Dorri takes gun and buys some ammo in red box - shopkeeper wonders if she know what sort of ammo it is. He makes suggestive marks to her.
• Street, coming out of coffee bar Antony and Peter in reverse tracking shot walking towards us. Articulate, humorous, conversation about whites' 'unreasonable' fear of blacks. Jean and Rick Cabot are walking towards them, Jean complaining about the time Rick spends on the phone. Antony and Peter carjack the Cabot's Lincoln Navigator.

3. A nice gun

• Antony and Peter converse in side the navigator, mainly about the St Peter's statuette
• Crime scene where a shot man is a dead cop, black, shot by a white cop
• Cabot home. David is changing the locks and Jean complains about his tattoos and ethnicity. Rick complains about what the carjacking will do to his image - he needs a positive spin on his relationship with blacks

4. Sobriety test

• Cafe: Park hands Choi a cheque (we later find out it is for illegal immigrants). As he leaves he passes the phone to Ryan who is trying to get help for his father
• HMO office - Shaniqua at end of phone
• Cafe: Ryan walks to car. Choi's van passes
• Inside car. Ryan joins Hanson. Get message about stolen Navigator. A different one passes; Ryan pulls it over in spite of protests from Hanson.
• Offensive strip search of Christine.

5. A little anger

• Fahrad's shop. Door will not close. Must have been a forced entry earlier. Dorri loads gun for Farhad.
• Christine and Cameron's house. they argue because Cam did not stand up to the police.

6. Invisible and impenetrable

• Daniel's home. They have moved becaus eof a previous drive by shooting. He gives Lara an invisible cloak

7. A personal problem

• Inside Navigator. Antony and Peter discuss hip hop. Knock over Mr Choi.
  
• Precinct office. tommy Hanson asks for a new partner to escape Ryan's racism. Lieutenant Dixon tries to dissuade him because Dixon is black and does not want to rock the boat.
• A & E: Antony and Peter dump Mr Choi
  

8. Locked and loaded

• Fahrad's shop
• Daniel changes lock but tells Farhad he needs a new door. Farhad thinks he is being ripped off - insults Daniel who screws up the job sheet and throws it away.
• Stolen car yard. Navigator is rejected by Lucien because it has blood on it.
  
• Grahams bedroom
• Mother rings while he is in bed with Ria. He and Ria argue and he calls her a Mexican

9. Taking the bus

• Ryan's place: father having trouble urinating
  
• Farhad's shop: door has been vandalised
• DA's office in City Hall: Rick and Karen come through. Ask about the Conklin shooting
• Antony and Peter come out of A's place: poor: contrast to City hall. Car won't start. Antony says he doesn't like stealing from black people.
• Cabot house: Jean snaps at Maria about dishwasher
• Street: Antony and Peter forced to walk. Buses are designed to humiliate people of colour

10. Ringing false

• TV studio: producer tells Cameron that black actor does not sound black enough
• HMO office: Ryan talks to Shaniqua to get help for father but then talks angrily about how positive discrimination destroyed his father's life

11. Brother's Keeper

• Locksmiths office: receptionist refuses to give Farhad Daniel's address
• Farhad's shop: Shereen is washing walls and wondering how people can call them Arabs when they are Persian or Iranian
• Mrs Waters place: she asks Graham if he found her brother. Drugs. He puts her to bed and checks her fridge for food. As he returns to car Ria tells him Internal Affairs has called to investigate Conklin killing.

12. Uninsured

• TV Studio: Christine comes to meet Cameron. She ends up arguing with him about police sexual harassment.
• Farhad's shop: Insurance will not pay because door should have been replaced

13. Trust

• Police precinct: Ryan tells Tommy Hanson who has asked to work alone that he has no idea who he is
• Internal Affairs garage with Ria and Graham. They find $300 in a tyre in the Mercedes. Suggests Lewis (cop who was shot) was on the take or dealing.
• TV studio: Cameron broods
• Farhad's shop: he sits outside and broods. Rubbish bin: see Daniels cast-off job sheet
• Street: Ryan and new partner Gomez arrive at a car crash. Christine trapped inside - petrol dripping. Christine is scared of Ryan but he saves her.

14. On a gut level

• DA's office Flanagan persuades Graham to support a prosecution against Conklin
• Graham is determined not to accept a bribe but then grimly accepts a deal to make his brother's arrest warrant go away.
• Fahrad's car: he drives through Daniels suburb and sees kids come home from school

15. Breaking Point

• Cameron is held up by Antony and Peter. His pent up fury and frustration give him the strength to fight them off. Peter runs off and Antony gets in car with him. They argue - chased by police car - stop at Santa figure with hand up

16. Threatening gesture

• Cameron angrily confronts armed police. Tommy defuses the situation. Drives away with a concealed Antony. Lets him out: "You embarrass me."

17. A really good cloak

• Farhad confronts a puzzled Daniel and then shoots at him, not knowing that Dorri has loaded gun with blanks. Meanwhile Lara has run out of house to protect her father with the invisible cloak.

18. Happenstance

• Mrs Water's home. Graham stocks her fridge while she sleeps
• Cabot house: Jeans talks to friend but seems to be cut off. Falls down stairs
  

19. Miscommunication

• Car: Peter is hitching and is picked up by Ryan. Misunderstanding and fear. Hanson shoots Peter
  

20. Human cargo

• Side of road. Aerial shot of wasteland where Graham looks at body of his brother. this is what he was looking at at start.
  
• Bus: Antony is riding in it! Sees a white van with keys in door and gets out.
• Hospital: Kim Lee finds her husband. Mr Choi tells her to cash a cheque immediately
• Stolen car yard: Antony takes van to Lucien but they find illegal immigrants within it. Lucien offers to buy them

21. Things to Do

• Morgue: Ria watches as Graham brings mother to see Peter's body. Dorri takes phone call. Graham's mother blames him for brother's death. Graham walks out
  

22. Connections

• City Hall and Cabot house: Rick talks to Jean in bed with sprained ankle. None of her friends available to help her. Is Rick having an affair with Karen? Maria brings Jean a drink. Jean: "You're the best friend I've got."
• Waste ground: Tommy burns car
• Ryan residence: Ryan hold his suffering father
• Cabot house: Rick locks door and looks out - at his reflection?
• Daniel's house: Lara and Elizabeth asleep in bed. Daniel looks out window.
  

23. LA Snowfall

• Cameron's car at waste ground. thinks snow is falling. Gets out - it is ash. Cathartic effect. Christine rings from their bedroom. Cameron: "I love you."
• Roadside: Graham looks over city from site of Peter's body. Find St Christoper's statuette
  
• Street: Antony pulls up in van and lets Cambodians out.
  
• Street: Shaniqua's car is rear ended. Camera pulls out to aerial shot. Snow falls.
  

24. End credits