Crash (1996) by Zach Mason

Title/Year:

Crash 1996

Director/Birth Country/Year Born:

David Paul Cronenberg (1943)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,168,660 (USA) (20 April 1997)

Synopsis:

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.

Narrative and Visual Keywords:

Exotic, Explicit, Violent, Beauty

Characterization/ Dialogue:

The dialogue seems to all be delivered at a little over a whisper. All the main characters are desensitized to what would shock an average person.

Camera/lighting/editing technique:

A lot of the shots have contrasting colors on the sides of the characters faces. All scenes lit both with warm and cold temps.

Political/ Social Commentary:

Social comment to an underground seek for thrills in abnormal way.

Historical Relevance/ Recognition:

None that I found or researched

Notable Collaboration:

n/a

Random fact, Etc:

Because Vaughan's car becomes increasingly battered over the course of the film, the production required six vintage Lincolns: three for driving, one for smashing, one cut in half for studio shots and one converted into a pickup truck on which to rear mount the camera to capture driver and passenger POV's.

Questions:

Why is the film considered controversial? Where was it banned (considered controversial)?

The film has very explicit sex scenes exposing fully nude actors. Violence is another issue with some audiences. I think the two separate are not that big of deal. However, it's how the two are intertwine that makes the film come off as disturbing. Sex and violence is never good when mixed. The film was banned in the inner parts of London.

What societal "comfort zones" does it push the limit of?

With every person comes a different comfort zone. Some zones are smaller than others. On the average viewer, the limits are reached with the sex scenes butted up against scenes of death and violence. Yet, that is what the characters thrive off of, the thought of this in not comforting.

Would it still be considered controversial if it were released today?

The amount of sex scenes in this movie would still get a NC- 17 in the U.S. As far as being banned in London today, it may not be.

Do you feel the director's choice to show the material is ethically sound?

Yes I do. It may not have been my choice, but if the director wants to show this type of material and invoke the emotions that come with that, by all means, go for it. There just needs to be fair warning to viewers what they are getting into.

Would you recommend this film to a friend?

Depends on the friend. I would explain to them what is shocking and what to expect and to watch with caution.