Sorcerer (1977)

Dir: William Friedkin

Starring: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal

Friedkin’s swan song was released after the tremendous success and acclaim of both “The French Connection” (1971) and “The Exorcist” (1973), which earned him two Golden Globes and one Academy Award. These three movies, as a whole, represent the director’s finest achievement and display his storytelling skills in dealing successfully with a wide range of themes. “Sorcerer” is his homage to the French cinema: his main source of inspiration (the movie is a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “The Wages of Fear” (1953)) and, perhaps due to that fact, it is also the best movie he believes he ever directed.

Plot: Four men with different backgrounds escaped from the problems they faced in their own lives and are currently living in South America. From an American oil company comes very risky mission that is offered to them, one that would allowed them to regain the honor and former lives but carries a heavy collateral fee: their lives.

“The truth and nothing but the truth”: Before going on about the different aspects of the movie that had a positive impact in me, like in past reviews, I must state the main negative point the affects the movie: Roy Scheider. Yes, yes he’s a two time Academy Award nominee and one of those nominations was on a leading role, but Scheider can’t hold the main billing on an action movie. He played second to Hackman in “The French Connection” and shared the leading task with Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss in “Jaws” (1975). Friedkin’s original choice for the lead was Steve McQueen, an actor who cannot be compared to anyone else of today’s Hollywood elite who can pass by an action hero actor. Sadly, McQueen passed on the movie and we are stuck with Scheider, who cannot live up to the character he’s playing and who fortunately was wise enough to pass on the main role in “The Deer Hunter” (1978) to Robert DeNiro.

That being said, this movie is the perfect example of what the “New Hollywood Era” (1967-1980) produced. A time when the Altman’s, Lucas, Spielberg’s, Scorsese’s, Friedkin’s, Cimino’s etc. etc. etc. indulged their own visions and ideas  at the expense of the studios.

Having not watch the French original, I’m biased on my opinion and therefore I’ll refrain from using the expression “one of the best remakes ever made” on this review (I use it freely whenever I mention “The Thing” (1982), though)

The movie represents a first time a truly international cast is assembled a fact that perhaps wasn’t well received by general audiences back in the US. Also, the fact that one week later a small movie called “ Star Wars” (1977) was released and drove audiences wild, and led Friedkin to utter the following remark (not a direct quote, but along the lines of…): “Star Wars did to Movies what McDonalds did to food: the taste to real food is gone”, slightly hurt this movie’s chances.

Anyway, the storytelling is intense (SPOILER !) with the Israel bombing sequence being filmed actually in Jerusalem and featuring actual footage of an explosion that occurred during the crew’s stay (END SPOILER!) and after the introduction of the four main characters and the allocation of the crew into the two trucks it’s non-stop suspense throughout the whole ride. The interaction among the characters who actually find out that they aren’t so different from one another is quite satisfying. The true scene stealer is Bruno Cremer’s Victor Mazon (a.k.a. Serrano), who perhaps had the most easily situation one could possible identify with.

Of course there’s your certain dose of symbology, starting with the movie’s title, which according to the director aims at reflecting the values of fate, future and uncertainty along with the comprehension of life, freedom, past, uncertainty, and the ultimate price one pays for his own mistakes are very well exemplified in this movie, (to a further extent than in “Runaway Train” (1985), my prior review).

The great soundtrack by the German instrumental group, Tangerine Dream, adds the final flavor to an already tense movie and is one of the highlights of this masterpiece. Moreover, the two year location scouting carried out by the director is visible on the outstanding visuals yielded by the backdrop of the South American jungle (actually it was filmed in the Dominican Republic).

Unfortunately, an underrated movie which “bombed” at the box-office due mostly to timing, as was already said. After this Friedkin made some poor choices with “To Live and Die and LA” (1985) his best effort since “Sorcerer”. The beginning of the end of era which terminated with the studio-wrecking creative fiasco of Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate” (1980).

Currently some disagreements between the director and the studios withhold the released of this classic on DVD, but hopefully in the near future the fans will be treated with a special edition with the extras and commentaries that they deserve.

“Money-Shot”: The sequences involving the trucks and the suspended bridge are exhilarating. An outstanding example of filmmaking without resorting to any excessive special effects and still able to deliver a realistic scene that drives the viewers to the edge of their seats.

Bottom-Line: 8/10. An excellent movie that ranks as Friedkin’s last masterpiece. Recommended to those who can really appreciate an action movie with some real storytelling and can overcome the few slow paced scenes that are contained on this movie. A dark and gritty movie that reflects the directors very own style.

But of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong…