David
Cronenberg's second adaptation of a seemingly unfilmable classic novel,
(Cronenberg filmed William Burroughs surreal Naked Lunch in 1992. Mixing
elements of Burroughs life with fragments of his early works it's a fascinating
film, but could hardly be called a true adaptation), Crash is a cold,
disturbing look into the lives of a group obsessed with car accidents,
sex and death.
J.G.
Ballard's graphic novel Crash (1973) followed the lives of characters
who seek sexual gratification amidst car accidents, bodily mutilation,
spilt semen on car upholstery, and dreams of head on collisions with
Elizabeth Taylor. Ballard described the novel as, "the first pornographic
novel based on technology," and went as far as to name the protagonist
James Ballard.
CRONENBERG: ...I think
that'll be tricky for some people. If they try to apply the normal movie
psychology to these characters, they're doomed to be confused, baffled
and perhaps frustrated by Crash. Where are the sympathetic characters?...
What most critics and audience members didn't understand (that includes
media god Ted Turner who through a fit after seeing the film), is that
Ballard's sci-fi tends to take place in the mind rather than great changes
in the world around us.
As
Cronenberg explains, "..the sci-fi-ness comes from Ballard anticipating
a future pathological psychology." Cronenberg's film perfectly captures
the cold inhuman feel of the novel with it's glossy metallic look, and
it's hellish depiction of the emptiness of parking lots and multi-lane
highways.
Rosanna
Arquette is terrific as a woman so brutalized by accidents she's half
metal. The vagina like scar on her leg that Spader licks and fondles
is classic Cronenberg imagery. Another striking moment from Crash is
the apocalyptic crash scene that Ballard, his wife, and their psychopathic
friend Vaughn visit. They mingle with the victims smoking cigarettes
and studying them until Vaughn begins posing Mrs. Ballard amongst the
wreckage and pain. The kicker is that the accident was caused by one
of their whacked out car crash fiends who recreated, to great accuracy,
the crash of Jane Mansfield. He even included her bloody wig and dead
dog! Obviously not a film for everyone (but than again you're on this
site), Crash is challenging viewing definitely worth a look (not to
mention the beautiful Deborah Kara Unger is nekkid a quarter of the
time!!).
