Sorcerer (1977): The Criterion Collection

Many aspects of the silent era (as well as film noir) can be found throughout the history of cinema, even up to now. Co-director of South West Silents and Film Noir UK James Harrison discusses a film connected not only film noir but also the silent era thanks to a new release by the Criterion Collection.

From the outset, when you start up Criterion’s brand-new release of Sorcerer (1977) you are welcomed with the sound of rain pouring with a dark, intimidating image of a truck stuck on a flimsy bridge with the silhouette of one of our protagonists (one of four) looking on at the trapped four wheeled beast. This ‘welcoming’ image isn’t straight at the beginning of the main film mind you, but the menu for the Blu-ray/UHD. If anything, this gives you a sense of what awaits you.

And a lot happens in Sorcerer. So, I will keep it brief. The film follows four key characters turned fugitives who find themselves in a remote south American town. While trying to find their way out back to society, they are offered a high-risk job of driving two trucks of highly explosive material through the surrounding jungles. There is a lot more to the story, but, like I said, I wanted to keep it brief… and simple.

And if all of this sounds familiar, then, this is a different approach to Georges Arnaud’s 1950 novel Le Salaire de la Peur; later adapted by Henri-Georges Clouzot’s into the classic French film noir, Le Salaire de la Peur (Wages of Fear/ 1953). There, I got that title out of the way pretty early in this review.

But this Criterion release isn’t just about Sorcerer itself really. Just like another Criterion July 2025 release in the UK, Midnight (1939/ reviewed here), this release very much celebrates the film’s director; in this case, William Friedkin (1935-2023).

Friedkin doesn’t really need an introduction, given the fact that his two previous films before Sorcerer, The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), are both classed as modern Hollywood classics (I’m more of a fan of Connection than Exorcist to be honest). So, unlike the Midnight release, it does feel that the special features are not really an introduction to Friedkin, but more of a reflection of his work and on himself, personally.

Watching the features, it isn’t really a surprise that Freidkin and Hollywood (the system or probably a good chunk of its inhabitants) never quite hit it off with each other. Freidkin is constantly outspoken and incredibly provocative; lord knows what he was like when he was younger. If the ideal of people becoming an extreme caricature of themselves as they get older is to be believed; then Friedkin, would be a perfect example of it.

A classic example of his persona can be found in an early episode of the great The Movies That Made Me podcast series which features Freidkin and where a ‘opinions are their own" disclaimer is announced at the end; one of the few episodes in the series which comes with such a ‘warning’. Only Friedkin would have something like that!

But is all of this just for the cameras? Maybe. Nicolas Winding Refn very much handles Friedkin in the 2015 recorded interview found within the extras. The same occurs when he's featured in Francesco Zippel’s aptly named 2018 documentary 'Friedkin Uncut'.

But when watching the features, particularly the conversation with Nicolas Winding Refn, there is a slight hint of Friedkin’s own interview with silent film director Fritz Lang from 1975. In fact, Lang very much has the same kind of approach and persona which Friedkin later has.

Also, Lang, while a genius, was another ‘character’ who very much became alienated with Hollywood; just like Friedkin in later life. Both filmmakers had their biggest successes in the early part of their careers; and continued to chase that heigh mark for the rest of their lives. Lang became embittered about the whole aspect of Hollywood; did Freidkin as well? It very much feels like he did by the end.

There would be other future successes for both in later live of course. For Friedkin, there be the either critically or commercially successes with the likes of Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) and Killer Joe (2011), but these great titles, would always be shadowed by French Connection and Exorcist.

But isn’t any film going to be shadowed by those two titles? Friedkin’s previous five films are very much forgotten now, while Sorcerer most certainly had to battle itself to be remembered.

With Criterion’s much welcomed release, many critics, bloggers, reviewers have said that Sorcerer is a lost masterpiece, a forgotten gem in the director’s career. A film which has never had an opportunity to shine and very much disappeared after it’s originally box office failure.

Well, that’s not quite true. Sorcerer has never disappeared. It has always been there. It has been widely available on VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, DVD and even on Blu-ray once before. Theatrically it has been widely available as well; I was lucky enough to see it on three separate occasions in a cinema atmosphere between 2001 and 2019.

But Sorcerer is a masterpiece and does need to be seen by as many people as possible. It is a film that screams, kicks and scratches you. It throws you in the sticky hot mess which covers all of our characters one way or another. In fact you feel totally dirty after watching it.

And if you’ve seen Henri-Georges Clouzot’s adaptation and think you don’t have to see this. Think again. I do think that if you screened both versions as a double bill, then you would still feel that you have watched two different films.

So, if you haven’t seen it, do get yourself a copy of this new Criterion release; the extras are worth the price alone and the film itself look and sounds amazing. You won’t regret it, and I’m sure William Friedkin would appreciate it as he sits chatting away (uncut) to Fritz Lang with the rest of the Film Gods… but, as mentioned before, you will feel dirty after watching it; so you might as well have a shower.

Thanks to the Criterion Collection UK team we have a brand new copy of Sorcerer (1977) up for grabs, as well as a Criterion tote bag! Just send us your answer to the question below via our contact page by mid-night on Sunday 20th July to be in with a chance. Good Luck!

Question: Which film did William Friedkin win his only Best Director Academy Award?