His attitude towards Cronenberg, the Canadian filmmaker that repositions the text, is more ambiguous. Sinclair is more comfortable in considering the text rather than the film. Certainly, one aspect that he rightly pushes to the fore is that of authorship. In making the film Cronenberg co-opts the character. It was Cronenberg that wrote the screenplay, assuming authorship even on that level.
Crash works best if it's viewed as a necrophile masque, a post-mortem look on an undead book.
The low-key performances, the subdued light, the lacklustre physical permutations, all contribute to an overwhelming sense of alienation. The film is alienated from itself, as well as from Ballard's wild-energy novel. The book includes an interview with Ballard, useful in placing Ballard's work in context. It is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book. I.e. it is great in theory, poor in practice.