Here's a true 1970's classic coming to Blu-Ray, one of the most misunderstood films of that time, and one which floundered no thanks to a stupid space film that came out at the same time in 1977. In an alternate universe, Star Wars would have flopped, and expensive films like Heaven's Gate and One From The Heart would have shaped Hollywood for years to come. After winning Oscars for The French Connection (1971) and causing an international sensation with The Exorcist (1973), director William Friedkin found himself briefly with the power to make whatever he wanted. When The Exorcist opened in Paris in 1974, Friedkin went over to meet French director Henri-Georges Clouzot, to get his blessing to direct a remake of his 1955 classic The Wages of Fear, which Clouzot gave. What should have been a small budget film, blossomed into a $22 million epic funded by Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Sorcerer (1977) is a remake which is actually superior to the original, and it still has a power to grip now. After numerous legal snarls, it's finally coming to Blu-Ray!! 
It focuses on 4 men, Irish-American gangster Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider), French investment banker Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer), Arab terrorist Kassem (Amidou) and Spanish assassin Nilo (Francisco Rabal) all brought together in the South American country of Porvenir due to various crimes and misdemeanors. They have to lie low, hoping for a way back home that seems impossible and for now, they have to live in absolute poverty. However, an oil rig 200 miles away explodes, and the only way to stop the fire is with nitroglycerin, which has been stored improperly and is highly volatile. The oil company need 4 men to carefully drive the cases of nitroglycerin across 200 miles of hostile and unpredictable terrain and unforgiving conditions. Our 4 fugitives make the cut, and the money they're offered could get them home and a second chance, but getting to the oil well seems impossible.
You'd have thought Friedkin would have gone for an easier film after The Exorcist, the production of this made that look like a walk in the park. It was meant to be a low-budget thriller, shot on the hoof, however it grew in size and scope as time went on. Filmed in America, Israel, France, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, this was a huge international production, and it looks brilliant on screen, and it manages to do justice to The Wages of Fear, and it captures the sense of suspense and it's a down and dirty film, and God, once we get to South America, we see the dirt and mud everywhere. It's realistic, and it doesn't shy away from the pain and suffering. But, it's enhanced by Tangerine Dream's hypnotic and eerie score.
Despite the film's quality, it experienced many delays and on-set accidents. Audiences and critics were expecting a masterpiece, however they ended up being alienated by the dark and gritty tone, any many walked out of the cinema in the first 20 minutes as they were put off by Arabic and French language with English subtitles, (philistines!!) However, things were about to go from bad to worse for Friedkin, the film's international distributor, Cinema International Corporation, (who handled Universal and Paramount's films outside North America), recut the film down to 90 minutes, using the original Wages of Fear as a template to work from. It was this rash decision which prevented a video release here, and last year, Friedkin took Universal and Paramount to court to find out who really owned the rights.
It was settled out of court, and the result is a Blu-Ray and DVD release coming out on April 14th 2014, with Warner Bros. stepping in to release it. No features have been announced yet, but Friedkin has hinted there will be documentaries and a commentary.
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This is a true classic of the 1970's, and one of the most underrated and little-seen films of that era. People were alienated by it back then, but time has been exceptionally kind to this film, and over 35 years later, it's been reassessed as a masterpiece, even Quentin Tarantino put it on his list of 12 favourite films for Sight and Sound's film poll in 2012. Friedkin has always stood by the film, and claimed it's his favourite as he has complete control over the production. Plus, Roy Scheider gives a powerful lead performance, (he won the role over Steve McQueen and Gene Hackman), and it shows what a good and underrated actor he was, it's a shame he didn't live to see the this classic film getting reassessed and reappraised.
It focuses on 4 men, Irish-American gangster Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider), French investment banker Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer), Arab terrorist Kassem (Amidou) and Spanish assassin Nilo (Francisco Rabal) all brought together in the South American country of Porvenir due to various crimes and misdemeanors. They have to lie low, hoping for a way back home that seems impossible and for now, they have to live in absolute poverty. However, an oil rig 200 miles away explodes, and the only way to stop the fire is with nitroglycerin, which has been stored improperly and is highly volatile. The oil company need 4 men to carefully drive the cases of nitroglycerin across 200 miles of hostile and unpredictable terrain and unforgiving conditions. Our 4 fugitives make the cut, and the money they're offered could get them home and a second chance, but getting to the oil well seems impossible.
You'd have thought Friedkin would have gone for an easier film after The Exorcist, the production of this made that look like a walk in the park. It was meant to be a low-budget thriller, shot on the hoof, however it grew in size and scope as time went on. Filmed in America, Israel, France, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, this was a huge international production, and it looks brilliant on screen, and it manages to do justice to The Wages of Fear, and it captures the sense of suspense and it's a down and dirty film, and God, once we get to South America, we see the dirt and mud everywhere. It's realistic, and it doesn't shy away from the pain and suffering. But, it's enhanced by Tangerine Dream's hypnotic and eerie score.
Despite the film's quality, it experienced many delays and on-set accidents. Audiences and critics were expecting a masterpiece, however they ended up being alienated by the dark and gritty tone, any many walked out of the cinema in the first 20 minutes as they were put off by Arabic and French language with English subtitles, (philistines!!) However, things were about to go from bad to worse for Friedkin, the film's international distributor, Cinema International Corporation, (who handled Universal and Paramount's films outside North America), recut the film down to 90 minutes, using the original Wages of Fear as a template to work from. It was this rash decision which prevented a video release here, and last year, Friedkin took Universal and Paramount to court to find out who really owned the rights.
It was settled out of court, and the result is a Blu-Ray and DVD release coming out on April 14th 2014, with Warner Bros. stepping in to release it. No features have been announced yet, but Friedkin has hinted there will be documentaries and a commentary.
This is a true classic of the 1970's, and one of the most underrated and little-seen films of that era. People were alienated by it back then, but time has been exceptionally kind to this film, and over 35 years later, it's been reassessed as a masterpiece, even Quentin Tarantino put it on his list of 12 favourite films for Sight and Sound's film poll in 2012. Friedkin has always stood by the film, and claimed it's his favourite as he has complete control over the production. Plus, Roy Scheider gives a powerful lead performance, (he won the role over Steve McQueen and Gene Hackman), and it shows what a good and underrated actor he was, it's a shame he didn't live to see the this classic film getting reassessed and reappraised.
