Story is not always involving. No real emotional investment in the characters. Mainly made interesting through some bravura set pieces, such as the crossing of a rickety suspension bridge, and the clearing of a tree blocking the road. Friedkin is a superior film technician.

Very good. I was skeptical that the premise would work--that it would be suspenseful--but the character development and atmosphere do it. The locations are amazing, too; there were several sequences that reminded me of Fitzcarraldo. There's good acting all around, an awesome and unique soundtrack, and top notch cinematography. I did not like the ending.

74.375

Leslie Halliwell's assessment is timeless, and spot on: "Why anyone should have wanted to spend twenty million dollars on a remake of The Wages of Fear, do it badly, and give it a misleading title is anybody's guess. The result is dire."

Both films succeed in different ways than each other; while The Wages of Fear is fascinating as a scathing anti-American film, Sorcerer manages to attack the condition of Western imperialism with more bite. The scene in which the charred bodies from the oil well explosion are passed amongst the rioting civilians is haunting and powerful. That rickety bridge over the river scene is one of the most thrilling things I've ever seen. There really needs to be an abundant "Nitro Truck" genre.

Clouzot's storytelling is cleaner, but Friedkin gets much, much more mileage out of the setting. Features some great, claustrophobic POV shots.

Example #1 of remaking a classic and somehow surpassing it.

Skip Friedkin's disappointing remake and watch Henri-Georges Clouzot's original, Wages of Fear, instead.

When I first saw this in its original theatrical release I was quite taken with it. But that was before I saw (or even knew about) Clouzot's original -- which I hardly need to say is hugely superior. Funny how things change. I have to wonder why Friedkin bothered.

An atmospheric and brilliantly made suspense picture that acts as a nice counterpart to Clozout's original.