Massively controversial on its original release – even banned for a while in the UK – David Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s 1973 novel still has the power to shock but also remains a powerful spectacle.
James Ballard (James Spader) is a film director who enjoys an open, intensely sexual relationship with his wife Catherine (Deborah Kara Unger). When he’s involved in a car accident that leaves him with a horrific leg injury, a man dead, and the man’s wife Helen (Holly Hunter) scarred he becomes captivated with car crashes and their impacts. He becomes close to Helen – a doctor – and her physician, Dr Vaughan (Elias Koteas), who organises recreations of famous, lethal accidents (such as James Dean’s final ride) in his spare time.
Time hasn’t softened the impact of Crash. The juxtaposition of twisted steel and writhing, naked, and often scarred bodies is as disturbing as ever. Cronenberg’s fascination with corrupted flesh is as evident as always, only this time it’s blended with the mangled bodywork of vehicles. It’s a tale of obsession and living out fantasies, however macabre they might be.
Looking at the film today, we have to posit that the element that might have caused the most outrage with the censors and viewers at the time of release could be the same-sex coupling of Spader and Koteas in one scene. The sexual element has been surpassed by more recent films, but the inappropriate nature still packs a punch.
Aussie label Umbrella’s Blu-ray release has plenty of extras that show the various sides of the production, with input from Cronenberg’s regular cinematographer Peter Suschitzky (who was also behind the camera on The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Empire Strikes Back) and composer Howard Shore amongst others. There’s even a cell phone-filmed intro by the director himself, which is very amusing.
