Sorcerer (40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] [1977]

I know many people are bigger fans of the Clouzot film of Wages of Fear. But in my (admittedly dim) memory of seeing that one more than a decade ago, I was less thrilled. With Sorcerer, I was a lot more riveted. The atmosphere of the remote South American town, the abject state of the men was accentuated by the prologue stories of their different backgrounds. I imagine shooting this would have been a nightmare, I bet the actors and technicians got really screwed during the forest and rain sequences. My fav actor was Bruno Cremer as Victor but everyone was great. And I don't agree that Tangerine Dream's score dates the film, it still feels vital and immersive. Director William Friedkin must have had utter carte blanche, otherwise getting funding for an expensive yet grimy looking film like this with no marquee names, extended sequences of foreign lingo, no gung-ho action, no glam women parts (it would have been easy to insert a "prostitute with a heart of gold", no?), not exactly upbeat climax...wow.I had been tempted to get the US digibook edition, but waited and then plumped for the UK edition from E1. The transfer looks very good, effectively conveying the grimy look of the film (as contrasted with a glossy Paris prologue). The scenes of the truck crossing the rickety suspension bridge in the pouring rain are genuinely thrilling and harrowing. There's a very careful use of colors that's nicely represented in the transfer. I played the stereo audio track which sounds good to me (some have said that it's a downmix of the surround track). I haven't yet seen the lone extra, which is a long conversation between Friedkin and the IMO overrated Nicolas Refn (apparently Refn makes statements like he sees himself as a current day incarnation of Friedkin, to which I can only roll my eyes).There's also a leaflet and reversible cover with original poster art on the inside,

It looks great. This is perhaps not the place to review the film, but it has been trumpeted as a bit of a lost masterpiece, but I think it's nowhere near as good as The French Connection or The Exorcist. Friedkin had two great films in him, and quite a few good ones. This is a film about fate, and about adventure, and I feel the two parts don't quite mesh.

is a 1977 American existential thriller film directed and produced by William Friedkin and starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, and Amidou. The second adaptation of Georges Arnaud's 1950 French novel Le Salaire de la Peur, it has been widely considered a remake of the first adaptation, the 1953 film The Wages of Fear. Friedkin, however, has disagreed with this assessment. The plot depicts four outcasts from varied backgrounds meeting in a South American village, where they are assigned to transport cargoes of aged, poorly kept dynamite that is so unstable that it is 'sweating' its dangerous basic ingredient, nitroglycerin.The film gained mixed to negative critical reception upon its release. Its domestic (including rentals) and worldwide gross of $5.9 million and $9 million respectively did not recoup its costs. A considerable number of critics, as well as the director himself, attributed the film's commercial failure to its release at roughly the same time as Star Wars, which instantly became a pop-culture phenomenon.Some observers consider the success of Star Wars and the box-office failure of Sorcerer to be a starting point in the decline of the New Hollywood cinema movement and the beginning of the blockbuster era.I found Sorcerer a fine well-done thriller, it not perfect, and can see why it bombed at the box office under the weight of Star Wars, it doesn't really get going until well into the film and the journey itself doesn't seem as perilous, as it seems made out to be.So it watchable and worth a look.

6 on the dice

Hi - Finally bought this after waiting 20 odd years to do so and boy am I glad I did. I am a big TD fan and the good news is that the initial '77 soundtrack was used throughout - I was worried in case they - as they do nowadays - adapted it. But happy to say - great news! It's the original 70's soundtrack guys. It is a full screen copy and not wide screen, so you do kind of find yourself immersed in the jungle with the cast. Being an old timer, naturally, once unwrapped I reversed the cover to how I remember it and then watched the movie all in one sitting. I loved it, for the makers have left it as was warts and all (so I thank them for that) and have not polished it up the way they do with movies nowadays. So, in closing I say that I loved the movie, just as a movie, loved the way they left the soundtrack alone and - oh yes - happy to say that - at long long long last - I finally have a copy of it.

I recorded this film from the television several years ago. It is very rarely shown, so it was worth while doing so. The DVD was a Christmas gift to a pal who had spent six weeks in hospital undergoing a heart operation and recovering from the virus. Had a text from him only a couple of days ago saying he had enjoyed the action, and had of course not seen it before. The soundtrack is by German group Tangerine Dream. Bought the vinyl album back in the early eighties. Only two members of the band surviving now. Edgar Froese passed away I thnk in 2017.

Under appreciated thriller you will be glad you checked out.

Der Film ist in meinen persönlichen Top 5.Der Regisseur auch. Roy Scheider, viel zu früh gestorben.Leider gibt's den Film nicht auf deutsch. Schade.

Har inte hunnit än att titta på filmen men vet att den är mycket bra, tyvärr ingen dubbning/textning på på tyska.

Envio super rápido!

Ottima qualità video ed audio. L'apice si raggiunge con gli extra, con una lunga intervista (1h 20m) di Friedkin con Refn che parlano solo del film, imperdibile. Purtroppo non è sottotitolata in nessuna lingua ma si riesce a capire se masticate un po' di inglese. Sub eng invece presenti nel film.