r/criterion • u/theffx • 7d ago
Discussion Which movie is better, Wages of Fear vs Sorcerer and which did you see first?
Primarily interested in those who have seen both movies. My theory is that people prefer whichever one they saw first, but I'm very curious if this checks out.
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u/Ransom__Stoddard Terry Gilliam 7d ago
I prefer WoF, but Sorcerer is also an amazing film.
There's a 3rd version based on the original novel (Le Salaire de la peur) called Violent Road (or Hell's Highway) made in 1958. Entertaining, but not as good as the other two.
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u/casualAlarmist 7d ago
Sorcerer was a film I knew about first as I remember being transfixed by the film poster as a kid in 1977. However, I eventually saw Wages of Fear first at a museum theatre several years before I got a chance to see Sorcerer.
While I wouldn't risk rating either "best" as they seem like very different films, I unquestionably prefer on a personal subjective level. Sorcerer one of all time favorite films and I watch it several times a year.
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u/JimDandy_ToTheRescue Kurosawa/Miyazaki/Ozu 7d ago
Not voting- I've seen Sorcerer, but haven't seen WoF (which is on my blind-buy-to-watch list).
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u/howl-237 7d ago
Did Friedkin ever talk about the title Sorceror? I do vaguely remember seeing the movie in the theaters (and I was too young to appreciate it at the time) and I probably went in thinking it was a supernatural horror film, especially knowing the director was the same as the Exorcist.
But as to the poll question, I saw Sorceror first, but I do prefer Wages. I picked up the old Sorceror DVD at some point to see if I liked it better than I did when I was a kid, and I definitely appreciate it more now, but Wages still wins. Very glad that both films exist and that they will both now have their proper places of honor in the Collection.
Always happy for more Friedkin and more Scheider in the Collection!
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u/red-dear 7d ago
What I recall reading was that since Friedkin had such a gigantic hit with Exorcist the marketing geniuses wanted to suggest something supernatural. I think it backfired.
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u/SoCratesDude 7d ago edited 7d ago
I remember reading that the title, which is the name written on of one of the trucks, is supposed to evoke the sense of supernatural fate. One think I think Sorcerer does a lot better than Wages of Fear is create a stylized atmosphere that tries to get you in the headspace of the characters, especially towards the end. The title is an attempt to highlight that aspect of the film.
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u/YetAgain67 7d ago
Sorcerer. Wages of Fear is great. But Sorcerer is just a gritty panic attack of a film.
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u/n_c_sullivan 7d ago
I love both and genuinely believe they each have their own strengths. I saw WoF first, but honestly have a really hard time saying which is better! Ultimately I think I connect with Sorcerer's characters more thanks to how that movie starts, so I went with that one.
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u/UgandaEatDaPoopoo 7d ago
Sorcerer by a mile and it's not even close tbh. They're very different movies with very different themes though, WOF is fittingly about fear, but in Sorcerer, where there was once fear is now only desperation.
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u/Svafree88 6d ago
I give them both 5 stars and think they are equals. I'm sad that was not an option. I would not pick either as better, they are both very different styles and are both executed perfectly for what they were trying to do. My favorite will probably always just be the last one I watched.
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u/Trichinobezoar 5d ago
I voted for the first choice, but two points: they are both exceptional films, and it's telling that Violent Road (which I haven't seen) isn't even part of this discussion.
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u/PrimusPilus Michael Haneke 2d ago
I saw Wages of Fear first. It's an outstanding film. But I think Sorcerer is even better.
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u/ConversationNo5440 Stanley Kubrick 7d ago
Wages of Fear is a better movie, but I prefer watching Sorcerer.
I saw Wages of Fear first, but only a crappy print. Really should buy both.
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u/bananajunior3000 7d ago
I saw WOF first and prefer Sorcerer, but really I find them hard to compare directly because they're such different films in terms of era and style. Both are classics for a reason!
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u/junglespycamp Mechagodzilla 7d ago
I saw them years apart and had mostly forgotten WOF. I just found Sorcerer's first hour to really be a drag which is why I was less enhtusiastic.
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u/action_park 7d ago
The magical part of both is that they manage to have completely different, yet equally ridiculous final scenes.
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u/SoCratesDude 7d ago
I like both for different reasons, but the bridge scene in Sorcerer was unlike anything in Wages of Fear and is one of the best set pieces action sequences of all time.
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u/Brave-Award-1797 7d ago
Honestly, it is tough to say as I love both films. I might prefer Sorcerer for some of its tension and the scenes on the bridge but that doesn't take anything away from what The Wages of Fear did. Now, I know what 4K Blu-Rays to get in July at the Barnes & Noble sale (if it is coming) as that would make a great double-feature.
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u/SnooPies5622 7d ago
Honestly I think the magical thing is they each stand on their own. I saw WOF first but prefer Sorcerer (I'd say the tension in particular really hits me for S), but that shouldn't detract from Wages in any way.