Crash (1996)

After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

J.G. Ballard (novel), David Cronenberg

Stars:

James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas

8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Spader	...	James Ballard
Holly Hunter	...	Helen Remington
Elias Koteas	...	Vaughan
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Catherine Ballard
Rosanna Arquette	...	Gabrielle
Peter MacNeill	...	Colin Seagrave
Yolande Julian	...	Airport Hooker
Cheryl Swarts	...	Vera Seagrave
Judah Katz	...	Salesman
Nicky Guadagni	...	Tattooist
Ronn Sarosiak	...	A.D.
Boyd Banks	...	Grip
Markus Parilo	...	Man in Hanger
Alice Poon	...	Camera Girl
John Stoneham Jr.	...	Trask

Storyline

Since a road accident left him with serious facial and bodily scarring, a former TV scientist has become obsessed by the marriage of motor-car technology with what he sees as the raw sexuality of car-crash victims. The scientist, along with a crash victim he has recently befriended, sets about performing a series of sexual acts in a variety of motor vehicles, either with other crash victims or with prostitutes whom they contort into the shape of trapped corpses. Ultimately, the scientist craves a suicidal union of blood, semen, and engine coolant, a union with which he becomes dangerously obsessed.

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Plot Keywords:

car crash | accident victim | sexuality | erotic thriller | bisexuality | 

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Taglines:

Love in the dying moments of the twentieth century.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for numerous explicit sex scenes

Details

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English Swedish

Release Date:

21 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crash: Extraños placeres

Filming Locations:

Graydon Hall Drive, North York, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$738,779, 23 March 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,038,450

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Communications Corporation, Recorded Picture Company (RPC), The Movie Network (TMN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 90 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sex scenes between James Ballard and his secretary were filmed but cut because director David Cronenberg felt the actors' chemistry was too good, contravening the nature of all the other relationships in the film.

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Goofs

After Vaughan repeatedly crashes the left front bumper of his Lincoln into a junker James Ballard is sitting in, causing major damage to the bumper and the lights, Vaughan is soon shown driving on the highway with no damage to the bumper and both left lights operational.

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Quotes

James Ballard: You should've gone to the funeral.
Catherine Ballard: I wish I had. They bury the dead so quickly. They should leave them lying around for months.

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Alternate Versions

The Australian and Italian version removes original title sequence with the film's title and credits set in metallic type, and replaces it with plain white titles on a black background.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinéma, de notre temps: David Cronenberg: I Have to Make the Word Be Flesh (1999)

User Reviews

I'm beginning to feel like a potted plant.

I remember watching this film about ten years ago when it was first released. I was younger then, and I remember hearing all the hype that surrounded this devilishly dark drama by director David Cronenberg. I had to see it. So one night, I rented it and watched it after my parents fell asleep, and I couldn't believe it. This was a horrible film. I couldn't get into the characters, the story seemed forced, and nothing seemed to match what I remember hearing about when it was released. So, I decided to watch it again when I was older and wiser in the cinema world. I thought perhaps my perspective would have changed and this would be a better film. I had seen other Cronenberg films, so I was ready for this. Sadly, it was no better than the first time.

I rented it and watched it, then suddenly returned it. I was unimpressed. Perhaps because I have seen scenarios like this work better in other films, or maybe it was just as I had described above. The characters seemed to just randomly do whatever they wanted, the story seemed forced and definitely not plausible, and finally there was just nothing spectacular about this movie. I really wanted Cronenberg to chisel his way into the human psyche after a traumatic accident like this occurs, but instead he resorts to a border-line sex film.

While favorites of my like James Spader and Holly Hunter decently act their way through this film, there was nothing that made me excited about their characters. Their chemistry seemed basic and their on-screen connection seemed dull. They were not the best choices for this film. I felt as if Cronenberg was catering to the Hollywood community with this film.

Overall, I needed a darker story, less sex and more character, and more Cronenberg. He has done better work, and I don't know why he gave up on this film. Perhaps he should take some lessons from David Lynch that may get him back on the right track.

Grade: ** out of *****