Fear Is Beautiful

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Criterion can never atone for its Third Man Bluray, but at least they're out of the doghouse now. The reason is their Wages of Fear Bluray, which I've seen and is quite beautiful all around. Superb detail and contrast, and grain levels that are acceptable by my stringent standards. A digital creation, obviously, but one that looks like film in the most refined sense. Clouzot himself would be amazed.

I haven't seen Henri-George Clouzot's 1953 classic since catching it at the Thalia in 1981 or thereabouts. I've decided, however, that William Friedkin's 1976 remake, Sorcerer, is just as strong and jolting, and in some ways a better story, and in other ways more believable, certainly during the first half. The word for decades has been that Clouzot's film is unquestionably superior. I don't buy that any more. They're more evenly matched now.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 8, 2009 at 1:59 PM

comment #1

The Playlist says ...

Both are great films, but yeah, i love Sorcerer; Scheider is awesome and the Tangerine Dream score is so creepy and compelling.

Posted by The Playlist at April 8, 2009 3:16 PM

comment #2

Kyle_D says ...

I still haven't seen Sorcerer (waiting for a decent video release), but I can definitely see room for improvement over Wages of Fear. The first hour could use some tightening, and the waltz denouement is completely unnecessary, ending the film on an off note.

It would be a far stronger film had it ended on the image of Yves Montand collapsing in front of the inferno.

Still, the rest is masterful and I'm happy to hear the Blu-ray delivers.

Posted by Kyle_D at April 8, 2009 3:39 PM

comment #3

George Prager says ...

Yeah, it's got some great stuff in it, but WAGES OF FEAR kind of resembles a boring episode of the original "Outer Limits."

Posted by George Prager at April 8, 2009 3:56 PM

comment #4

maxfm says ...

Sorcerer rules. That film should have been on Blu-Ray in its proper aspect ratio yesterday.

The ending still chills.

Posted by maxfm at April 8, 2009 4:34 PM

comment #5

Ryansi51 says ...

I wish the girl in the photo would move her arm.

I know MilkMan knows what i'm talking about.

Posted by Ryansi51 at April 8, 2009 4:54 PM

comment #6

prairie_oysters says ...

Wages of Fear very much set the mould for Hollywood 'high concept' action films. A bunch of characters, an easy to understand shared goal and motivation, an ever present threat and an ever escalating set of obstacles. Linear as fuck thrill ride.
Having said that it's infinitely better than most of what it influenced. The editing of action (especially in the sequence where the wooden platform passing point on the mountain starts to give way) is as tight as anything in a modern film and the way in which Clouzot establishes the geography of the sequence leads to a sense of tension on a par with anything Hitchcock pulled off.

The film is also a very early example of zoom lenses being employed in a fiction film, abet only once or twice.

Posted by prairie_oysters at April 8, 2009 5:33 PM

comment #7

ZayTonday says ...

So Wells, what are your thoughts on the 400 Blows BD? I thought it looked great myself.

Posted by ZayTonday at April 8, 2009 10:09 PM

comment #8

ZayTonday says ...

Oh yeah and what bad luck Friedkin had, with Sorcerer releasing the same day as Star Wars.

Posted by ZayTonday at April 8, 2009 10:39 PM

comment #9

ZayTonday says ...

He probably wanted to get revenge on the world by fucking up his other movies.

Posted by ZayTonday at April 8, 2009 10:40 PM

comment #10

Jeffrey Wells says ...

I haven't felt like watching the 400 Blows Bluray. I look at it and go "yeah, maybe" and then I buy something else or I don't buy anything. I'm more of an older Antoine Doinel type of guy. I like Bed and Board and the other one...forgot the title. I'm also, Truffaut-wise, more of a Shoot the Piano Player type of guy.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at April 9, 2009 2:19 AM

comment #11

AtticusRex says ...

While Wages is a true French classic, Sorcerer is fantastic. I saw this film the day it was released. Loved it. I do believe though that this film helped to ruin Friedkin's career for many years. I don't blame Star Wars but the title of the movie as the main reason it didn't succeed. After all do you follow up one of the biggest hits ever called The Exorcist with a movie called Sorcerer? And the only Sorcerer in the movie is the name of the truck Roy is driving.

Posted by AtticusRex at April 9, 2009 4:28 AM

comment #12

George Prager says ...

IS there a more overrated director than Truffaut? Some of his films are TORTURE to sit through. JULES AND JIM has some great sequences but it is a fucking ANNOYING movie, almost as annoying as DARJEELING LIMITED.

Posted by George Prager at April 9, 2009 5:26 AM

comment #13

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

I'm going to watch The 400 Blows on blu ray tonight and am looking forward to it.

I am pretty sure that by a very very wide margin, the best looking black and white blu ray out there today is Good Night, and Good Luck. Of course it has the unfair advantage of modern day cameras, but my jaw dropped at the three dimensionality of the image. It is not an exceptionally exciting movie, but its sumptuous look is something that would allow me to easily watch over and over again. Movies like this are what blu ray was made for!!!!

Posted by NotImpressed1Yet at April 9, 2009 5:55 AM

comment #14