All this would be a standard episode of Inspector Morse were it not for the fact that Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay, adding some artistic merit. The film starts off with the accident of the title: a car crash. It then flashback to show the events leading up to it, We don't get that many present-day glimpses, though they are the strongest parts. They're both chilling and yet touching, such as when Stephen climbs into bed with sleeping Anna and strokes her hair, telling her that he loves her. Because Bogarde's character is so polite, it makes the audience's reaction to him complicated.
The structure and minimalist dialogue- the hallmarks of Pinter- means that this is a film you'll have to concentrate for, but it does add some enigma to what is an overtly melodramatic plot. Anna is enigmatic to the point of impenetrability, which may make Sassard's performance look wooden but it really works for the film. She is both everything and nothing and the camera loves to linger on her, just as Stephen would if he had the guts.
My criticism of the film is that it's thinner than a Ryvita, so you're watching for the acting and cinematography rather than plot. There are some great moments but the psychological horror could have been played up a lot more