Henri-Georges Clouzot’s WAGES OF FEAR is a nail-biting classic, and should be sought out by anyone who considers themselves a film fan. Furthermore, Friedkin’s remake, SORCERER, is a bit of a masterpiece in its own right, and is often cited (alongside THE THING) as a remake that fully honors, and maybe even supersedes, the original.
So when I hear that they’re remaking it again, my initial thought, of course, is, “Why the hell bother?”
Ben Wheatley, director of KILL LIST, SIGHTSEERS, and the upcoming HIGH RISE, has apparently made big waves with his latest, the Brie Larson-fronted FREE FIRE, and now he’s in talks to direct a second WAGES OF FEAR remake he’d co-write with his wife, Amy Jump.
Can he bring something new to the story of four ne’er-do-wells pulled together to shlep a truckful of dynamite through the jungle? He’s got something neither Clouzot or Friedkin had; digital technology. Both the use of digital cameras and CGI should make the production considerably easier than the last two, with more opportunities for visual opulence and trickery. Friedkin’s shoot, in particular, was a complete mess, with weather problems necessitating reshoots that led to a budget that they utterly failed to recoup. If Friedkin had 2015 tech in the jungle, no doubt that would’ve gone a lot smoother.
But there are two pitch-perfect takes on this idea already, with the second, with its crazy bridge scene, excellent Tangerine Dream score, and its fantastic, studio-annoying intro (which introduces all four drivers individually, in their respective languages, on their home turf), turning out improbably great. What are the chances this will measure up? Does Wheatley have an ace up his sleeve that’ll make Friedkin go, “Shit, I wish I thought of that?” Is there a lead that’ll evoke the blue-collar hardship of this plight better than Yves Montand and Roy Scheider? Can this possibly be as sweat-inducing as the tensest moments of those films?
My thoughts are “probably low,” “maybe,” “it’s possible,” and “I wouldn’t bet on it.” The ideal hypothesis is to remake a film that was good, and maybe even iconic, but flawed. I don’t buy the premise that either of these movies are even mildly flawed, or even dated in any way, nor that the general public cares enough to get interested based on name value alone (this is a ‘50s French film and a late-‘70s bomb we’re talking about here). But we’ll see if Wheatley and Chris Pratt, Gerard Butler, or whatever faux-grizzled English-speaker they get to head up the cast can bring enough newness to the table to justify another trotting out of this property.
Raise your hand if you’re dying for a third, CGI-augmented take on George Arnaud’s novel? Don’t all raise your hands at once.
