amieg
Posts: 2
Joined: 21/10/2006
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Prejudice is a foggy window which, at some point in our lives, we all look through and it is a common subject in modern day cinema. Whether it is racial, gender, homophobic or any other form of discrimination, using prejudice in films has grown in popularity amongst directors and film writers. While well known productions such as The Green Mile, A Time to Kill, and Mississippi Burning all controversially display themes of racism; many films such as Pretty Woman, Philadelphia and even Shrek 2 portray a hidden form of contentious judgment. The film, To Kill a Mockingbird, is probably one of the earliest examples of prejudice in film focusing on race, class, age and disability and how they can affect a community. These issues, however, are only touched on in this film. Later films such as A Time to Kill, concentrate specifically on the racial issues that divide our modern society. Crash opens with black detective, Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and Latino/American ‘partner’ Ria (Jennifer Esposito), having just been involved in a car crash. After reflecting upon another crime scene before him, the film flashes back to the day before where a Persian shop owner is trying to buy a gun, but is denied as he isn’t an American citizen. We are then introduced to two young black car-jackers, ironically discussing the racial discrimination they are receiving in a white community. D.A. Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Jean (Sandra Bullock), then become victims of their racial hate, which leaves Rick in an uncomfortable position both with his wife, and at work. Feeling intimidated by her recent ordeal, Jean has new locks fitted in her house but racially judges the locksmith, Daniel (Michael Pena). Jean, unable to trust the Hispanic locksmith, insists on the locks being changed again the next morning. Daniel then returns to his home where he gives his daughter a ‘magical’ cloak, which he promises will protect her. Meanwhile, in
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