Sorcerer could be a product of the 1960s. William Friedkin's film eagerly courts the psychedelic atmosphere of that time with a pungent soundtrack by Tangerine Dream and a main title that feels sprayed across the frame like nostalgic graffiti. The maker of The French Connection embraces elemental mist as an alternative paint brush.

One idea springs forward and gains traction: the agony of going through life without a steady paycheck. Roy Scheider has the tired, emaciated look of a man staring at a dream unrealized. Every moment starts in the middle of an important action or statement. This plays counter to the slick quality of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood. Back then, beauty was key. Sorcerer revels in the sweat and uncertainty lurking in the unknown. Madness grabs the wheel and frequently takes hold. Friedkin seems drawn to capturing nature's elusive mysteries.

Fundamental elements include trucks laden with nitroglycerine traversing dangerous mountain paths and the challenge of peering through the shroud of torrential downpours. Dialogue proves functional with moderate blessings of genius.

Sorcerer represents reality in a truer form than The Wages of Fear. Gone are the black and white shadings of drama. In their place, we see the muted tones of the once colourful landscape. A working mantra seems to be craftsmanship as an extension of ugliness. No frame appears overlit or neatly composed. Instead, moments play for spontaneity, often in grungy and shadowy settings.

One fantastic scene surveys a perilous rope suspension bridge, which not one but two trucks must cross. The sequence dances on a tightrope of expectation, wrapped in urgent pain. We hold onto the desperate movements of four men, governed by an unshakeable tendency to carry on.

Scheider plays a part originally meant for Steve McQueen. Putting a movie star like the latter in such a highly suspenseful journey film would probably undercut the authenticity, no matter how good the acting. Depriving the picture of star quality contributes to its richness as a bona fide ordeal.

The storyline unfolds in an impressionistic, discreet way. Sorcerer taps into our belief in the preservation of what's important. Through the strength of the film's candour, we believe in each and every scenario as though it were plucked from our own lives.

(Released by Universal/Paramount and rated "PG" by MPAA.)