FAQ

No, it's a remake of Le Salaire de la peur (1953).

For the theatrical release, two completely different versions were edited. First, the version that was prefered by Friedkin. This version has a running time of 118 minutes and was edited for the US-market. And secondly, the European version and as far as I know also the Australian version, which both have been heavily cropped. Without Friedkin's consent the movie was taken apart and put together in haphazard fashion. The main differences are the prologues. While the US-version tells the background stories of the four main characters one after another at the beginning of the movie, the European version integrates those in abbreviated form at different, often inappropriate points in the story. Furthermore, the ending was altered. The American version ends on a pessimistic note, whereas the European one has a more optimistic outlook. The music was also changed, which took away some atmosphere. Interesting are several scenes that actually add to the story and were removed from the US-version.