Sorcerer (1977)

[Rodney-2187]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BDb...ature=youtu.be

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[Lee A Stewart]

Great movie! Too bad it got buried by Star Wars.

[L.J.]

Such a tense thriller, one of my favorites.

[Cremildo]

Easy five stars. A mesmerizing adventure film for adults.

[Michael11]

Amazing movie. One of the best.

[Lee A Stewart]

Sketches for the trucks made by production designer John Box. Above is the titular "Sorcerer", and below the "Lazaro".

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally, Friedkin envisioned an all-star cast of Steve McQueen, Marcello Mastroianni, and Lino Ventura.

McQueen was the director's first choice for the role eventually taken by Roy Scheider, as a small-time criminal named Jackie Scanlon who ends up a fugitive from the law and the Mafia after a robbery of a New Jersey church. Scanlon's role was written specifically for McQueen after Friedkin met him in person and he turned out to be very keen on the idea. McQueen loved the script, and even went as far as to say "This is the best script I've ever read", but did not want to leave the country or wife Ali MacGraw at the time. Instead, he proposed that McGraw become an associate producer or that a part be written for her in the film; however, Friedkin declined both his wishes, stating that "there's hardly a major role as a woman…and we don't have associate producers who don't do anything, we're not going to make her an AP." It eventually led to McQueen's declining the offer, upsetting the director greatly, and making him later regret this decision

[Foggy]

Just gets better and better the further we move away from it.

[Mothravka]

Not that good, I prefer The Wages of Fear (1953).

[CreasyBear]

Friedkin's best film, by far.

[Bumblefeet]

If not for the clumsy sequence in New York with the church robbing, it would get 5 stars, but still a beautiful movie worth revisiting.

As for its place within Friedkin's body of work, surely The Exorcist blows it away in subject matter, performances and cinematography. Both movies also share the same 'documentary' filmmaking, which Friedkin abandonned for sleazy L.A. directing in the 80s.

[Kuruwin]

The pre jungle part kinda drags but it's great when they finally hit the road. Great soundtrack

Betrayal - Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer Soundtrack - YouTube

Really nails the tone.

[don3663]

I was definitely bored Pre jungle too but it really picked up. Had Goosebumps throughout.

[Lee A Stewart]

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. To dramatize the backgrounds of the principal characters of "Sorcerer" , two of the opening sequences were filmed in the appropriate language - with sub-titles in English. Other than these scenes, "Sorcerer" is an English language film.

Disclaimer put on "Sorcerer" lobby placards"

When the film opened there were a number of people who thought it was a foreign language film with sub-titles and walked out. That Disclaimer was added after the first few days it played in theaters.

[Lee A Stewart]

[scribe1964]

I've been a fan of this for years, but had only seen it on VHS until a few years back, when they restored it. I watched this version in NY at the Film Forum. As others have said, it takes a while to get going, but when it does, wow. A gripping, dark, powerful, beautifully shot movie. And that bridge sequence is amazing, especially if consider that this was before CGI.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Bumblefeet

If not for the clumsy sequence in New York with the church robbing, it would get 5 stars, but still a beautiful movie worth revisiting.

As for its place within Friedkin's body of work, surely The Exorcist blows it away in subject matter, performances and cinematography. Both movies also share the same 'documentary' filmmaking, which Friedkin abandonned for sleazy L.A. directing in the 80s.

Funny you should mention that scene. After 7 takes and 7 wrecked cars, Freidken was not happen. The stunt Coordinator and his Stunt Men weren't giving Freidken what he wanted. One of the crew took him aside and told him to call a guy named Joie Chitwood Jr who was considered one of the best in the business for staging car wrecks. He is the son of Joie Chitwood who for decades ran an Auto Thrill Show.

He comes on the set, asks Freidken exactly what he wants. Then he builds a small ramp, backs up the car, tells the cameras to roll and that is the take you see in the movie.

[Lee A Stewart]

Get the Blu-ray. It is framed for the 1.85 AR that the movie was shown in theaters. It's a full frame print movie with a plate installed in the projectors in the theaters to crop the 1.33 AR down to 1.85.

[dancerslegs]

Originally Posted by Mothravka

Not that good, I prefer The Wages of Fear (1953).

Yep. Sorcerer definitely has its moments. (

[Show spoiler]The bridge sequence, in particular.

) The Wages of Fear is a far more resonant and satisfying realization, though.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by dancerslegs

Yep. Sorcerer definitely has its moments. (

[Show spoiler]The bridge sequence, in particular.

) The Wages of Fear is a far more resonant and satisfying realization, though.

I love both. But that ending for Wages of Fear just comes off hokey. I love the film but that ending was an eye rollng one for me.