Viggo Mortensen & David Cronenberg on CRASH

Frequent David Cronenberg collaborator Viggo Mortensen joins us for an introduction and Q&A following a screening of Cronenberg’s controversial tale of bodily trauma and desire, presented in a 35mm print hand-picked by Mortensen from TIFF’s Film Reference Library Screening Collection.
Viggo Mortensen
Since his screen debut as a young Amish farmer in director Peter Weir's Witness, Viggo Mortensen's film career has been marked by a string of diverse performances. Critics have continually recognized his work in more than 40 films, including The Road, Appaloosa, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, A Walk on the Moon, Portrait of a Lady, Carlito's Way, The Indian Runner, The Reflecting Skin, the Spanish-language features Alatriste, La Pistola de Mi Hermano, and Everybody Has a Plan, and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, and A Dangerous Method.

[@rettro6578]

Viggo Mortensen is a very articulate speaker and thinker. I enjoyed his performances in A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.

[@jamescarr4662]

he somehow reminds me of Jackson Browne..

[@ΕλένηΜπακατσή]

Love you, Viggo and David!!! Too clever a conversasion!!!! 😉😉❤❤

[@kevinyeowolf8953]

That's interesting that Cronenberg felt that the theme of Crash wasn't the ever growing dependence on technology as the member of the audience asked. When I read Crash that was the impression that I got when I finished the book. At certain points in the novel the characters become unable to achieve orgasm or arousal unless they're contained within the cars. Well at least that's how I interpreted the book though I think the film altered that original idea from the novel.

[@marshrabbit7565]

I thought the line in Videodrome best sums up the novel, 'It's dangerous because it has a philosophy' - but I think Cronenberg's description of it being 'repellant' is equally good. It's a tough read.

[@outaspaceman]

When I finally got round to reading, Crash I had a very similar reaction to Mr. C But didn’t go back to finish it.. Having listened to how it can be read, I’ll give it another go..👍

[@ptoink]

Welp, this just kept me up & smiling til 4am. Two soft-spoken, sensually intelligent legends. Damn.

[@PSYCHOTRONICbrdcst]

What a good Q&A. What I wanna know is was Cronenberg's participation planned or did Viggo ring him and say: "Hey, what you doin' tonight?" lol

[@karanvirkooner1993]

great directors with the name David David Cronenberg David Gordon Green David Robert Mitchell David O.Russell David Fincher David Lynch David Yates David Lean

[@Bryan8329]

David Lean

[@federicogasparino]

David DiDonatello

[@FrancoisDressler]

Gordan Green? Seriously?

[@janetlieb2507]

Adore James Spader!!💙💙💙

[@Project5am]

Finally watched this masterpiece after coming across the themes of Ballards books. It. Not surprisingly that he went on to make a film about Freud with the connections with sex and the death drive.

[@claudiavaschetti9848]

se juntaron dos grandes de la escena admiro a los dos y a Viggo lo amo, espero con ansiedad su película Falling de seguro va ser excelente como todo lo que hace, su música, fotografía, pintura, poema, actuación y ahora dirección y guion un éxito seguro

[@Ashwin14d]

Jj

[@wpsl0723]

Viggo is so remarkable actor and David is awfully crazy creative director. I cannot wait to see if viggo is a good director too, while watching Falling.

[@reubencanningfinkel5922]

is viggo the best of the best? what a lad!

[@Blickafram]

I like to give a comment. When I look and listen to you both something comes to my mind. You both have very beautiful hands with long fingers shows so much to me. Both of you synchronized by your hands. Its an understanding already in your hands.

[@sebastianalegria3401]

David is to Viggo like Marty Scorsese is to Robert De Niro, so they both made unbelievable movies together.

[@bey3910]

12:30 Cronenberg's account of Jeremy Thomas proposing the book as a project completely contradicts to what he said in a previous interview (either on the DVD commentary or his interview with Ballard in London): Jeremy Thomas asked him if he wanted to make another film together, he said Crash, having read it a couple of years earlier. Shows how fragile the human memory is.

[@gregdahlen4375]

i liked being shown an unusual secret world but also sad to know people did what these did

[@hypnos9336]

love both of these guys

[@behemoth5344]

Cronenberg & Mortensen: to borrow a portmanteau kids these days like to use, one of the greatest bromances of all time. And I was somewhat surprised to hear that the film adaptation of Crash was actually Jeremy Thomas' idea and not Cronenberg's.

[@Rob-bv6ew]

I see Aragorn. I can't help it.

[@Redclxxd]

Strider

[@Rob-bv6ew]

@@Redclxxd I'm going with Aragorn :)

[@Blickafram]

If Your heart tell You anything. Follow Your STAR.

[@trydowave]

i love crash

[@massapower]

The trie Canadian artistic & creative director. 😎👍🏻👍🏻 Unlike that crappy Valentine one... You know 😎

[@Mr06261984]

cronenberg has huge hands

[@samir6047]

You know what that means 😏

[@kazman_6899]

​@@samir6047Viggo has small hands. Checks out.

[@kyleplatz3751]

I hate the fact that I can't fucking find this movie anywhere to watch. Not even available to rent.

[@BrettTalleyMusic]

Lots of free streaming options on the web.

[@bonebagbettysbutterbusting6348]

fuckin roasted that last lady.

[@xsx1113]

What are you talking about? Roasted by answering her questions?

[@aldriel8274]

Horrible movie. So bad its even sad.

[@Feoktistovs]

I watched Crash today and I gotta say it was a very strange but at the same time very satisfying watch. I overall liked the film but didn't love it. But definitely one of the most intriguing Cronenberg's films.

[@yer_old_pal_Jerky]

I believe the central theme of CRASH is, at its core, the profound unknowability of other people's sexuality, and how finding others who are on your sexual wavelength can be like a kind of dangerous miracle.

[@blackgoogle111]

this is the point, but i think that is more important the attraction between people who has the fetish of cars and always as in the Ballards Novel, to keep the melancholy and the dark atmosphere.

[@nisam1308]

P

[@nisam1308]

P

[@nisam1308]

P

[@nisam1308]

L

[@greglialios8339]

Love you, Viggo and David!!! Too clever a conversasion!!!! 😉😉❤❤

[@claudiodelisi]

Lost me at the bs landclaim

[@kerrybruce760]

I love watching anything Viggo is in. He’s a beautiful artist. But he will always be Aragorn for me. Just an amazing person.

[@tommaccammon7158]

Thank You so much, TIFF!

[@EdonèFilms]

Viggo Mortensen speaks Italian of Green Book: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIWqeoZ_lL9jY8U

[@XGRIMYONEX]

I don’t remember vigo in crash.

[@Eliguitar1]

Sounds like a Crash blu ray is on the horizon. Finally!

[@suohlad]

Eli Friedmann Great News! It’s one of my fav Cronenberg films and one of the last to see the Blu Ray treatment :-)

[@NEMIHEMERA]

Hope it ends up being a "Criterion Collection" release.

[@PSYCHOTRONICbrdcst]

@@NEMIHEMERA They did the laserdisc so that's very possible.

[@Bryan8329]

A German company worked on a 4K restoration, with Cronenberg and the DP's approval. They'll release it sometime next year. No idea what it means for broader distribution but I imagine it won't be too long after it comes out in North America.

[@drewweiss4384]

Yup! Coming this December on Criterion Blue ray! Just preordered it! I have never even seen the film!

[@JaimeRebanal]

yet another Q&A that I started up, feels quite amazing haha

[@edannegrin1345]

Jaime Rebanal was the event free? Can’t believe I missed it.

[@JaimeRebanal]

@@edannegrin1345 It was $17 for TIFF members.

[@PSYCHOTRONICbrdcst]

Were you there? Cool! Was Cronenberg scheduled or was that a complete surprise?

[@JaimeRebanal]

@@PSYCHOTRONICbrdcst It was a total surprise!

[@zenpaganwarrior]

I consider myself lucky enough to have seen Crash when it came out in '96 in a unique 3-screen art house theater called the Magic Lantern in Spokane, WA (which is no longer in existence, sadly). Also seen there: PI, Lolita (remake), The Crying Game, The Secret of Roan Inish, Clash of the Titans (1981), The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and many, many others. Cronenberg and Mortensen are an unlikely yet perfect filmic match-up! Update, 6/8/22: I recently bought and watched the Criterion Collection Crash DVD and I really must say that although Cronenberg is a fascinating director and personality, I feel that Crash is merely a simulation of a movie. It provides us very little in the way of either plot or character development, backstory, feelings, motives, story elevation and advancement, etc. I think Cronenberg is a symbolist auteur, i.e. he presents symbolic surfaces upon which he delivers ideations or concepts of things, but gives us no real plot or character study to get us deeply interested in the people or what's going on in any meaningful way. On that level, Crash is a fascinating study, but for me, it leaves me cold and empty and uncaring, and perhaps that is Cronenberg's aim -- to reflect back to us his own conclusions and feelings about this world, mirrored in (t)his film(s). Comments back on this contention are welcomed.

[@vladimirhorowitz]

I think's true with a lot of his stuff, although the movies he's made post-eXistenZ have been definitely more character-oriented. I didn't really enjoy Crash that much. All of Cronenberg's movies are strange, but that one just didn't make it for me. Although one scene still makes me laugh from time to time. James Spader is riding back to the guy's house, forgot his name but the one he has a gay encounter with, and the girl. Out of nowhere the guy starts rubbing her crotch, and James Spader casually looks over to see what's going on, and the other guy kind of looks out of the corner of his eye at him like "Wtf are you looking at?" and James Spader just goes back to watching the road and minding his own business lmfao.

[@sarab4826]

the magic lantern in spokane is still open, actually! it's a great place :)

[@genuineletter]

I think you are on point witht your comment. The coldness is very present, it is in the material: sex disjointed from connection, yet not unsensual. the perverse sexuality is full of enjoyment but also quite mechanical, it is quite shallow. So do the characters feel, shallow and cold. Thats what makes Cronenberg such a great director, he really transports the story on many levels