Fourseedycriminaloutcastsrisktheirlivesinpursuitofredemption,bothlegalandmoral,bydrivingunreliabletrucksstockedwithnitroglycerinethroughdangerouslandscapetocapanoilwellfireinaCentralAmericanbananarepublic.Featuringatrance-likescorebyTangerineDreamandavisceral,astonishingperformancebyRoyScheider,Friedkin'sreinterpretationofClouzot’s1953masterpieceisperhapsthebestremakeofalltimeandisamongFriedkin’smostdaringworks.Threesequencesalone–achaoticcarcrashinBoston,theunloadingofcharredbodiesinaCentralAmericanvillage,andtheexplosivesladentruckscrossingaricketystorm-blownbridge–renderSorcereraclassicandretaintheirpowertomakeaudiencesgasp.ReleasedthesameyearasStarWars,Friedkin'saudaciousmasterpiecerepresentsthebraverroadabandonedbythestudiosystem.