The plot of CRASH centers on a jaded married couple (James Spader and Deborah Kara Unger),who engage in extramarital affairs then relate the details of those affairs to their partner. James, the husband, is seriously injured in a head-on collision with another car. Helen (Holly Hunter), traveling in the other car survives the crash, although her husband is propelled through the windshield and is killed. James and Helen encounter each other while recuperating in the hospital; this is where they meet Vaughan (Elias Koteas), a car crash fetishist. Because of  their traumatic experience, they become part of Vaughan’s world, attending recreations of famous car crashes and having sex in cars. CRASH is filled with strong and very brave performances, and despite how bizarre my description of the film may seem, these actors deserve recognition for their work. James Spader, Holly Hunter, Deborah Kara Unger, Rosanna Arquette and Elias Koteas all bring something great to the material, with Unger being a particular standout.

The Criterion Collection Laserdisc edition of CRASH has been given a good-looking Letterboxed transfer which renders the film in its proper 1.66:1 theatrical proportions. The image has good detail, even during the numerous dark sequences, although there is a bit of film grain in a couple of places. Color reproduction is super, with vivid hues for both the warm and cool colors. The digitally encoded Dolby Surround soundtrack has a great mix that adds directional effects to the film’s car crashes and car chases. Howard Shore’s intense score also benefits from the Dolby encoding. This score, while integral to the film, is so good that it can stand alone as a work and is highly enjoyable. The Sony DADC pressing had modest speckling and was slightly noisy. David Cronenberg supplies an audio commentary on analog track one. Cronenberg’s commentary is very interesting and explains many of the decisions behind the film; he also discusses the controversies connected with the film’s strong subject matter. Other supplements include American and European theatrical trailers, as well as behind-the-scenes footage that includes interviews with Cronenberg and author J.G. Ballard.