THE SORCERER (THE WAGES OF FEAR)

US, 1977, 121 minutes, Colour.
Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou, Ramon Bieri.
Directed by William Friedkin.

The Wages of Fear, better known as The Sorcerer, was an ambitious remake of the 1954 French classic The Wages of Fear, directed by Henri-Georges? Clouzet, starring Yves Montand.

The film seems to have got out of hand, becoming rather grandiose and operatic with Friedkin’s style. Friedkin had made an impact during the 1970s winning an Oscar for The French Connection in 1971 and then directing The Exorcist in 1973.

The film received bad reviews in 1977, with the critics damning it in comparison with the original. However, in retrospect, and with an understanding of Friedkin’s bold and extravagant style, it is quite interesting as a tense drama of drivers in South America, with pasts, trying to drive unstable dynamite over the mountain terrain. Roy Scheider is very good at this kind of world-weary character. He is supported by a French and Latin American cast. The title, The Sorcerer, according to Friedkin means that the sorcerer is the evil wizard of fate.

1. The significance of the title? The title of the original novel and the French film? This version as a remake - the purpose of the remake? The dedication at the end to the original director, H.G. Clouzot? The original American title of The Sorcerer - with reference to one of the trucks used to transport the explosives?

2. The initial failure of the film, the elimination of 30 minutes of the film, especially in the flashbacks? How did this affect the impact of the film in terms of the basic situation, the characters? What was the main audience interest - in the situation, South America, the characters, the journey, the issues behind each character and the political and economic scene in South America?

3. The production was costly. Is this evident in the use of location photography, special effects, the spectacular fire and the presentation of the town and the environment, the atmosphere, the journey itself?

4. The contribution of the score and its variety of moods, variety of instruments used?

5. The structure of the film and audience interest and involvement? The initial flight over the valley and the oil rig? The final flight? The establishing of the basic situation, the introduction to each of the characters, the explosion and the guerrillas and the purpose of the journey? The flashbacks within this context? The cumulative effect of knowing the characters, their feelings and motives, the dangers of the journey and the achievement?

6. The presentation of South America and audience knowledge of it? The landscapes, the beauty, the natural resources? The place of government and posters, officialdom etc.? The guerrillas and their cause and their brutality?
The police? Officials and their ways of dealing, bribes etc.? The international companiei and their presence - their emblems, their plant, their treatment of the locals, the economic factors? The white men representing the international companies? Economics, prosperity and the contrast with poverty, squalor? Work and the workers? Communications and their lack, transport? South America in its remote areas in the 20th century?

7. The film's attention to detail especially in its style - the initial building up of the town, the details of the streets and buildings, the people, the squalor? The emphasis on close-ups of things natural e.g. butterflies, of faces? How well did the film communicate by this use of intimate detail?

8. The purpose for these refugees being present in South America? Criminal backgrounds, escape, withdrawing and hiding? The seedy atmosphere and their immersing themselves in it, anonymity? Their looking at themselves both interiorly and exteriorly e.g. in mirrors? The world of stopovers, delays, cheap hotels, work, money and the desire to move away?

9. The guerrilla presence, the explosions and the violence? The consequences of the explosion, deaths, riots by families? The need for the stemming of the fire, the economic difficulties? The continued spectacle of the fire blazing by day and night? The explosion as a symbol for rebellion against oppression?

10. The build-up to the search for the nitro-glycerine, the guerrillas taking it, the old stock and the detail of finding it, the establishing of the problems with its drying up, transport, the helicopter unable to transport it, the hopes with trucks? The importance of nitro-glycerine in such a situation?

11. The presentation of the search for the drivers, the test with the dramatics and the humour? The selection of the drivers? Their preparations and the collage of work on the trucks? The repercussions on the men themselves? The murder and Nilo taking over? The irony of the presence of a murderer on the trip?

12. Juan Domingues - as leader, his presence In South America, his work, his presence in the bar, his arrest and interrogation, lack of papers? His motives for being there? His soul-searching and his looking at himself in mirrors etc.? The background of the robbery, the killing of the priest, the crash and his escaping? The effects on him, later nightmares? Responsibility, guilt?

13. The presentation of Serrano? A contrast with Domingues? His wanting to get out, selling his watch? The contrast with the elegant background of his dining in Paris, his wedding anniversary, the failure of the bank, the suicide of his associate? Responsibility, conscience?

14. Martinez and his presence in the town, his background as a terrorist in Israel? The visualising of the raid?

15. Marquez and his looking forward to going on the journey, the victim of Nilo? Nilo as the anonymous murderer with the stopover presence, no flashbacks?

16. Corlette and his skill in supervising the oil company and the works, his recruiting, his handling of the explosion, the search for the nitro-glycerine, his recruiting the drivers, setting the conditions, his thanks? Dealing with the authorities? Representing the international companies and local dealings?

17. The various supporting characters and their contribution - guards, the pilots, the bartender and the people in the bar, the police, the officials?

18. The significance of the journey as real and symbolic? The journey as real and symbolic for each of the drivers? The moment of truth for each of them? Taking a murderer, working out their fears, helping one another, death and its prospect, irony of success?

19. Nilo and his killing to get on the journey, his poor driving especially on the dashboard, his attack on Domingues and laughing at him, helping in the crisis, his skill in shooting the guerrillas and giving his life? Did he achieve anything by the journey?

20. Martinez - wanting to get out, not having any money, a violent man, his attacks on Nilo and wanting to kill him after the revelation of the murder, the clash with Serrano, the guidance on the bridge and the curve, his skill with the explosives, the bond with Serrano and their sudden death?

21. Serrano and the society man In a seedy situation, the memory of his wife, the effect of his associate's suicide, his intense driving on the bridge, the kerb? His reminiscences at the moment of his death?

22. Domingues as leader, skilful driver, the Washboard, losing his nerve at the fork in the road, the bridge, his desperation at the tree across the road, the encounter with the guerrillas and escaping with his life, the final drive through the nightmare nightscape, his walking with the nitro-glycerine to the plant (realistic, symbolic?)

23. Why the involvement in the journey? Some hope, some self respect, greed and selfishness, achievement. What did the journey do to each of then?

24. The title and its indication of theme, truths?

25. A grim film, realistic? A portrait of life? Themes of endurance, good and evil, atonement, responsibility, the bond between men? The background of modern technology and economy, machines and driving and human skill?