Sorcerer

Director William Friedkin is one of the great American filmmakers. He's helmed some true classics like The Exorcist and The French Connection. But even a genius like Friedkin can make a masterful film that fails to connect with an audience. Case in point, 1977's Sorcerer.

The plot is simple, four guys for hire, Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, and Amidou, are assigned to drive two trucks through the South American rain forests. Seems simple enough, but there's a catch. They must haul large cargoes of nitroglycerin. The four men endure bumpy roads, rickety bridges, roadblacks, horrible storms, and natives knowing that the slightest bump wouldn't just put an end to their job, but their lives.

I'm not sure why this originally failed at the box office. I'll admit it does start off slow, but once it gets going, it is a very intense ride. Even though the trucks might be moving at a snails pace, I would say that it rivals that of the fast chase scene in The French Connection. Friedkin is a master at this.

Scheider, as always, is terrific, as is the rest of the cast. Even though he has starred in a lot of hits, I feel that Scheider has always been overlooked as an actor. This is a very physical performance, and he is able to make himself look quite gaunt by the end. Steve McQueen was originally going to star, but he had to drop out because he didn't want to leave his wife alone in the states.

Friedkin, who endured many hardships during filming, not to mention the low box office numbers it received upon release, still considers this one of his best films. Luckily it has developed a cult following over the years and audiences are finally seeing what a great work it is.

It's available on dvd and blu ray.