Crash *** (1996, James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas) – Classic Movie Review 1748

Writer-director David Cronenberg’s uniquely disturbing 1996 film of J G Ballard’s probably unfilmable parable novel about people into road crashes for sexual kicks caused a furore in Britain. The right-wing forces of censorship in politics and the media in the UK tried to have Crash banned outright for causing death on the roads – though in the end it was passed uncut by the understandably nervous film censors.

Cronenberg plays with the audience’s heads and sensibilities in kind of shockingly dark cerebral chiller. As a dark journey into the human psyche, Cronenberg’s beautifully crafted, good-looking, careful and intelligent film kind of works, but only just – and not really at all as a chiller. It does disturb and provoke, but it doesn’t really entertain at all.

James Spader is very good indeed as the bored Canadian husband who tries to keep his marriage alive in the heat of car wrecks. Holly Hunter, Deborah Unger, Rosanna Arquette and Elias Koteas also star.

Peter Suschitzky’s cinematography is impeccable, giving it a fine, sleek. polished neo-noirish look..

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1748

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/