MovieChat Forums > Car Wash (1976) Discussion > Social commentary

Social commentary

posted 18 years ago by paulistef
10 replies | jump to latest

Although rather thin, I saw some social commentary in the flick.

I first saw "Car Wash" when I was about ten, in the mid-eighties, on TV, and... in French! (PS: pardon my English, not my mother tongue).

When I rented the DVD recently (20 years later), I couldn't help but to see a certain level of clever, irreverent second degree, especially in Abdullah and Lonnie's dramatic moment at the very end.

I suppose the second strongest comment was made by the inclusion of the BET-Sunday-Inspiration-style crook, played by Richard Pryor (although the Pointer Sister do sing a pro-evangelical song, which is well received by the onlookers).

Schultz seems to have portrayed the under-side of American capitalist society, in all its post-60's, post Saigon-surrender breakdown, yet acknowledging that it works somewhat and allows survival in simple fun and laughs, so as to forget the grim reality of it.

Am I alone on this?

[–] PenTheater 18 years ago

"Am I alone on this? "

No, that's what helped make it a good story, each character had his own Point of View, and and they were intertwined in the course of a day at work.

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[–] pbl1 18 years ago

to say this film has "social commentary" is to put "Ernest goes to prison" up for an oscar. Major stretch.

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[–] paulistef 18 years ago

I disagree;

Just because YOUR brain couldn't get past the slapstick, it doesn't mean there wasn't something more to the flick.

[–] bleugodz 18 years ago

This movie is still socially...puff...puff....hold....hold.....exhale...relevant today.

"Whatchu doing on our turf punk? Got a message for smoky"

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tricksoftrade02 15 years ago

I agree with the OP,I thought this scene was very interesting. Here you have a preacher who is obviously fleecing his followers, and Abdullah calls him on it. But the workers seem to back the preacher, because the allure of riches and power is of greater importance than than how he made it.

[–] escalera-2 15 years ago

Of course it had a message. It's about people and how everyone has a story. At the end they all come to terms with themselves (they all come clean -- big joke).

Melanie Mayron's character maybe had the saddest lot. She looks absolutely broken at the end.

It was a snapshot of the times, too. Not a masterwork, just a snapshot. A very good one.

[–] heyuactor 10 years ago

It was a snapshot of the times, too.

A rather crazy one, but yeah.

"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.

[–] escalera-2 10 years ago

Crazy times, heyouactor, crazy times.

These days we're into a whole different kind of crazy. 

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[–] Noir-It-All 10 years ago

The scene in the locker room between the owner and Lonnie was heartbreaking. Better days ahead for Lonnie.