Summary
A canoe trip goes horribly wrong for four friends in the deep Georgia wilderness.
My Thoughts
I've been on hiatus for a couple weeks now, preparing and going on vacation in the immense Appalachian mountains, and while being there, hiking the trails being completely absorbed by total wilderness, a line from the classic film "Deliverance" kept ringing in my head; "Up here no one will find us." Kind of a terrifying thought, sure, but something about being there really brought the truth to that statement to light. And while I was glad I was in Virginia and not Georgia (where this film is based), I couldn't help thinking that there were forces beyond my control, watching my every move, waiting. While my experience in the mountains was wholly an amazing time, I still found myself itching to watch this gothic southern tale about four friends taking a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong in the Georgia wilderness, surrounded by the very same Appalachian mountains. For a film approaching its 50th it still holds true as a truly haunting and disturbing deep south American yarn, filled with dread and violence, giving the cinematic world a new look at man v man, and man v nature, and turning masculinity on its head, this films narrative has surely stood the test of time, even if the filmmaking techniques haven't.
We start right off with the four friends (Burt Reynolds, “Boogie Nights”; Jon Voight, “Midnight Cowboy”; Ned Beatty, ”Nashville”; and Ronny Cox, “Robocop”) Driving through the mountains, laughing and fantasizing about the adventure that's ahead of them but things quickly turn when they encounter a group of hill people, while they're not very inviting they do help our characters with their cars, but the entire time there is a sense of impending doom, that these city boys do not belong in these unknown parts of deep Georgia, with only narrow dirt roads and overgrowth to guide them. The tension is thankfully broken by the first of two iconic scenes this movie is known for; the dueling banjos song, which is at first entertaining, but then the song is used later to allude to the impending dangers before they happen, it goes from happy to haunting to matter of minutes, and the viewer knows this is probably going to be the only moment of relief that this film is going to offer, and that feeling couldn't be more right.
Like I stated earlier some of the filmmaking techniques are outdated, and I'm mainly talking about the day-for-night shots while Jon Voight's character makes his ascent of the cliff to hunt the group's hunter, it's so jarringly distracting that it begs for restoration because this is truly top notch filmmaking. The boat scenes are so impressive as they're going through the rapids that it's not hard to understand why there was so much stress during the making of the film, while today it would be done with CGI, back in 1972 they had no choice but to do it the real way and it definitely pays off for the overall quality, the man v nature elements are intense but watchable, making it for a rousing adventure film in the beginning. But all that quickly changes when Voight and Beatty decide to park their canoe on a bank of rocks for a break, and are quickly met by malevolent hill people, who viciously attack the two city boys, tying up Voight and raping Beatty in the second iconic (albeit much more disturbing) scene from this film. The scene is haunting and unforgettable, it did something for film that still not many have touched on, which is destroying masculinity, showing that no matter how macho or tough a man can be, there are forces that will cut that down to size. It's a reflection on society as a whole, and a scene that is still talked about and revered almost 50 years later, a true testament to the power of this movie. And after this attack, the film and the characters are never the same, it quickly turns into a horror film almost, one of doom and survival as our characters must escape this unknown hostile land before the evil catches up.
Deliverance tackles many modern issues in unconventional ways and settings which is why this film gets trapped under the viewers skin long after the somber credits roll. After Reynolds kills one of the hill people, the other runs away and the group must decide what to do with the body. There's the moral dilemma of doing the right thing as reporting this to the authorities, or to bury the body as no one will come looking for these inbred folk. A vote is made and despite going against Cox's morals they bury the body, and not long after, they are attacked again by the other gun wielding hillbilly and forced to hide after the canoes are destroyed in the rapids and Reynolds leg gets mangled, along with a death in the group, this film really goes from zero to a hundred about half way through, giving us a wonderful slow burn treatment that only adds to the horrors of survival. All of this works due to the realistic writing (adapted by the author of the novel with the same name) and committed performances from the cast, still making this one of, if not the best southern gothic film, one that has inspired many after it like "Southern Comfort" and "Winter's Bone." It's one of my favorite under-appreciated genres and one I would like to see many more of, I'm just glad I watched Deliverance after my vacation to the mountains and not before.
Overall Deliverance not only stood the test of time, but it conquered it, and with a good restoration that is much needed (come on Criterion!) This film easily earns its title as a classic movie. It's a disturbing and anxiety ridden survival adventure story, filled with excitement and horror, a movie that will linger in the minds of viewers for as long as this film has been around. It's truly sensational when a film that's in it's fifth decade can still form a lasting, haunting impact on the audience, showing man facing the horrors of nature, themselves, and deconstructed masculinity, Deliverance opened the door for many writers and filmmakers to explore these traits and environments, but none can match the evocative atmospheric intensity as Deliverance.
I give Deliverance 5 stars out of 5.
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