It is a remake of the 1953French film Le Salaire de la Peur. Although remaining somewhat faithful to the story of the original, Friedkin's movie (unlike Clouzot's) tends to place more emphasis on visuals rather than dialogue.
Sorcerer is noteworthy for being a major commercial failure following on the heels of Friedkin's highly successful films The French Connection and The Exorcist. The budget was estimated to be over 22 million dollars.
