★★★★★ 3
Good but not Wages of Fear
The much maligned Sorcerer is in fact a good well crafted thriller that if seen without refrence to the Original Wages of Fear would have faired far better at the hands of the critics. That's not to say the film is perfect. The opening scenes that fill the viewer in on the charecters back stories, are pointless and actually work against the tension that is built up later in the film. Knowing exactly why the characters are desperate makes their reasons for taking on the deadly task seem a bit lame and looses the exestential angst that creates such a hopeless atmosphere.
Once in South America the oppresive nature of their stay in the village is also diminshed by knowing too much about them. Having said all that there is still an air of desperation and mounting frustration, it's just not as clausterphobic as it could have been. Once the journey begins the tension is turned on, the only problem is that by knowing the original so well there is not quite the frisson of that classic. This is an unfortunate by-product of re-making any well respected film. Friedkin however has a fair go and if this is the film you see first you will wonder why it was so slated on original release.
The film moves at a well constructed pace that is aided by a cracking score from Tangerine Dream. The cast perform well and Roy Scheider is reasonably well cast but does not deliver the subtly nuanced performance he is capable of, for this you need to look towards (obviously) Jaws and to a lesser extent the minor role he playes in Naked Lunch.
All in all a good film, though not great, and as the review starts by saying, not Wages Of Fear, but it deserves a better reputation than it so unfortunatly has and will be a good addition to anyones collection of interesting 70's films (the best decade for American Filmaking by a long long way).
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2005
