Los Angeles is a multicultural city that is divided into various ethnic neighborhoods. "Crash" illustrates the union of all these cultures in a period of two days. From local thugs to law enforcement, and from drug addicts to political figures, "Crash" unites various cultures and various backgrounds into a film that presents the attitudes that many people share directly or indirectly.
The film is based on the idea of racism but a much hidden feature in the film is the state of power and control that characters have when a weapon is present. Guns were used by Officer John Ryan to intimidate the Thayer family, and it was Cameron Thayer's fear to be at gun-point that led to his lack of protection toward his wife. The Persian man Farhad buys a revolver as a protection for his business. The automobile thieves Anthony and Peter use a gun to gain control over the white couple as well as in various parts of the movie, but the reality is that their true personality is shown through their actions. The most noticeable implication of a gun is the fear Daniel's daughter has towards guns because of a previous experience. .
Officer Ryan is a racist cop who feels that other people who are not white followed inferior beliefs. Ryan believes that African Americans are taking away jobs that are more suitable for whites. This belief is a result of his father losing his maintenance business that consisted of over thirty African Americans because the city council ended businesses that consisted of only minorities. Ryan's father lost everything, which meant that he probably went to poverty and Ryan decided to blame African Americans for his father's loss. Ryan's character demanded respect, and when people don't respect his authority he immediately uses his gun to retain his authority. In the scene in which Officer Ryan decides to pull over the Thayer's Lincoln Navigator, camera shots focus in on Ryan's arm which is notably, touching his gun.