Sorcerer (1977)

[Neville]

After watching "Wages of fear" a couple of years ago, I've been trying very hard to find this one. Finally got the chance to see it, and it does not disappoint.

First things first, "Wages of fear" is a 1953 French film about several low-lifes in South america that are given the chance to earn some money to start over or at least improve their existences. Bad news is that the job is little less than suicidal: they have to transport several crates of leaking dynamite across a couple hundred miles of jungle. Even more than fifty years after its creation, it easily ranks among the most suspenseful films ever, even if the first half moves a little too slowly for my taste. It's a must see, and I give it my most sincere recomendation.

"Sorcerer" is the American remake, and it was shot in 1977 by the then highly regarded William Friedkin. Starting with the obvious question, no, it's not as good as the original. Friedkin is a very talented director, but he's never been known for his sublety, and that's what fails here. Yes, it's a very tense, gritty film, but also a rather strident one, and one can't help but notice that Henri Clouzot managed to inject the same story with the same tension with far less gore and violence.

This said, "Sorcerer" is a very good film and deserves to be better known. Friedkin is at his best here, and few movies provide such a bleak, pathetic portrait of humanity and its struggles to carry out useless, often suicidal tasks. It's amazing to watch the "heroes" of the movie in action, sometimes arguing over minimal topics, colaborating only when it is indispensable, and too often shattering and crumbling under the weight of their assignment.

If only for that, and the oppressing atmosphere created by Friedkin and electronic band Tangerine Dream, the film deserves its share of kudos.

[Jim H]

Good atmosphere on both flicks.  On the whole, the original film is superior, but I think the original film's ending isn't very good.  It just seemed ridiculous to me, the whole paralleled dancing thing.  Sorceror's ending isn't awesome, but I still liked it.  I actually think Sorceror deserves a bit more credit than it gets.  Definetly solid.

[The Burgomaster]

SORCERER is definitely underrated.  It isn't as good as THE WAGES OF FEAR, but it is still a top-notch suspense flick.  The scene on the rickety bridge is intense.

[Yaddo 42]

I saw Sorcerer first, it was a cable stable in the US back in the mid-90s. But Wages of Fear is the superior film, I could have seen it first if I had given a few more films a chance when TNT used to air foreign classics on Sunday night at one time. I wonder how many films over the years have borrowed from that turn around at the top of the hill scene in WOF.

I like Sorcerer and was a huge fan for years but I haven't seen it in a while, I suspect I might not like it as much now that I'm older. While I respect the way it showed how each of the men wound up in on the run and hiding out where they are. The stories are well done, but they do slow down the film. Just imagine the quick edited montage they would use over a narration from each of them if it was made these days. Not saying that's better, just saying how they would do it probably.

I love the bridge crossing scene that you posted an image from, Neville. Truly tense, and exciting, I jumped the first time I saw the tree branch come in the window.

I've always been a fan of the ending for how nihilistic it is. For everything that has happened to him, with the last few seconds, none of it matters.

There were copies of it in the dump bin at Wal-Mart a few months ago, but they were only the full-frame version. What a waste, a film made to be seen in widescreen. Think of the road clearing scene, if an explosion could be called beautiful, that one is.

Bought the soundtrack years ago, still listen to it, but I will NOT listen to it driving on a foggy night.

[Neville]

As you can tell from the capture, my version of the film was also fullscreen. However, and according to the IMDB, the film was shot in a 1'66/1 ratio, which much closer to fullscreen than to widescreen. Either the current DVDs eliminate some of the sides of the frame or they actually show a bigger image, not cropping up and down. It's hard to say, as I couldn't notice any of the actual signs of that practise, such as boom mikes appearing on the top of the frame.

Either way, fullscreen DVDs of this movie are not as bad as you could think.

[Egg]

This movie is pretty good. But I think they spent too time at the beginning establishing the characters. Well made movie full of suspense.

[Scott]

Both look interesting. Never heard of  them before.

[Jim H]

Both look interesting. Never heard of  them before.

Wages of Fear is also interesting historically, as many of its suspense bits have become cliche, at least in their execution.  A great many scenes of something about to blow up, or inching towards destruction, etc, owe a lot to Wages of Fear.