★★★★★ 5
A Perfect Film
It has been a long time since I have been so surprised by a film; I can remember hearing about it when I was a kid, but like so many others at the time, 'Star Wars' was my childhood obsession. That a being said, I also have to say that this movie is generally timeless; with the exception of the cars and the music sometimes(still an excellent score by Tangerine Dream...), there is nothing that falls to the side as 'dated'. The country the 4 men flee to is just miserable, and probably looks the same now as it did then...just behind the times in so many ways.
The set up of the 4 men starts things off with bang--literally. The scenarios are very different for each individual, but each equally satisfying. There is an excellent church robbery scenario that rounds things off with Roy Scheider, which includes a trademark Friedkin vehicle sequence(which--like many other scenes in this film--comes with a surprising jolt and a direction you didn't see coming...). Each backdrop story could pretty much provide for a film of it's own. Scheider is excellent, and this film reminds me why I was always a big fan of his. That being said, the other acting is all just right on the money as well; you can feel both their desperation and sweat, and sympathize with every stumbling block they encounter along the way. From the corrupt cops to the bandits they meet on the road(a favorite scene of mine in any movie...), you are thrown generally everything in the book as far as a crime/thriller movie go. And in this case it is all successful. There were more than a dozen scenes that hold up to or outshine anything that has been put out in the last 10 years to me. It is a reminder of the skill behind this project across the board, and the booklet with the blu-ray is really enjoyable to read, especially after seeing the film, as it fills in some curious questions about how certain things were done, and the difficulties the production encountered.
The look of the film is breathtaking at times; all of the camera shots of the landscapes, kids, animals, elderly soda vendors, and crowded village streets are very candid and realistic. While the plot is somewhat simple, the intensity and driving force behind the 4 men is unforgettable; and while they are all different in their ideals, beliefs, and character, they all manage to somehow come together by fate to carry out the one thing that could save them from a life of poverty or consequence by law. And everyone meets some kind of fate you don't see coming.
I have always loved Friedkin's work, especially when he delves into the darker side of mankind; However, this is the 1st movie in quite some time that has jumped into my top 5 favorite movies. It again reminds me how people w/talent to burn make timeless work, period. I am so happy that Friedkin was able to get this released as he saw fit, and it truly is a gift to those who like him, the genre, the actors, and the feel of such a film...
There is humor and philosophy throughout the film here and there as well; the screenplay is top notch, and the dialog is fascinating; it is one of the films you watch where you are never reminded it's a film. You get wrapped up in it, and do a lot of replaying certain sequences over and over. While the 'bridge scene' is the most famously known sequence in the film, there are countless others that are certainly equal, although the bridge scene is a pure nail biter(not to mention technical feat, as further explained in the booklet...).
The use of sound is also pretty incredible, especially coupled with the visuals; from the sounds of several surprise explosions, to the sound of the knife blade being flipped out, this film uses sound as a performance of it's own; it supplies a huge/equal part of the overall canvass and to feeling like you are there in particular a situation, not to mention hearing things as they actually probably would be heard; the sound is never overdone for the situation, and always effective. The creaking wood and rushing water of the bridge scene is a great example. Also, while the dialog is considerably less than in most movies, it is always very well written, realistic, and just another positive strength; but even when there is no dialog, and just simply sound and the expressions on the characters faces, it more than serves the point trying to be made. The character hit-man Nilo has very few lines, yet his character and performance are equally strong as anyone's here. The small visual details work in the same way the sounds ones do, such as the soldier accepting a bribe by scraping the money to himself with a fly swatter, the bar tender wiping off Roy Schieder's silverwear on his own shirt before passing them to him, to the cop popping open a Coke bottle with the cocked barrel of his gun...all small examples of going that little extra bit to make something potentially average something more. And these types of moments and details are throughout the film. A favorite to me is in the church scene in the beginning of the film where the priest mentions to the happy couple something to the effect of 'not being obsessed with material things', and you can see the groom roll his eyes, all while his bride with the black eye stands next to him(they show a close-up of her when the priest say he hopes their marriage is filled with blessings, but she still didn't look too happy to be there...).
Mr. Friedkin wanted this to be his 'magnum opus', and I think he well succeeded. It really does still outshine so many films and the people involved that exist nowadays; Like Stanley Kubrick and John Huston, I can see the obsessive side Friedkin had to create something unforgettable no matter how much time or money it took; it is quite a risk, and sadly one that doesn't always pay off; but it is an effort that is well appreciated, and something not as many filmmakers take on nowadays.
As far as it being considered a remake, I would have to say this is no more a remake than something like Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans' was of the original 'Bad Lieutenant' film; some of the story elements are similar, but a lot of those elements are taken to new and different places with all the people involved with the production; and while 'Sorcerer' gets it's story foundation from both a novel and a film, you can see them much more as an influence, and not the basis. It is more the taking of a loose idea and making it to all your own, not an imitation of it.
I have watched this 6 times since it came out, and it still seems to expose a new layer or understanding each time, not to mention the brilliance of so many scenes that capture the moment spot-on. This film is pure genius to me, and the surprise release on blu-ray has made my month. It is a piece of work that warrants all the 5 star reviews it has gotten, and Mr. Friedkin should be more than proud of this piece of work.
I hope it reaches the full audience it deserves now, esp in the blu-ray format. I think it will.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2014
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