Deliverance

Rating:
Summary: Deliverance: Reality or fiction?
Review: One of the best actors of his generation, John Voight started out bigtime in John Boorman's frightening tale Deliverance in 1972. Alongside him there was Burt Reynolds, giving the only really good performance of his career, backed up by Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox. The film starts out with four ordinary men driving up into the mountains to find a river, soon to be erased to give room to a future lake. On the way they run into locals who obviously have a much different view at life. A true nightmare is about to begin when our four friends set out on their canoe trip. This film is still one of the most thrilling and well-acted movies of all time, nothing like anything you have ever seen. Strange that none of the actors received oscar nominations.

Rating:
Summary: Damn good
Review: This was a movie that tackled a lot of issues that were arrising at the time. The "hillbillies" were never really discussed at the time and this movie scared everyone because of that. The Hillbillies were described as being gay, ugly, and just plain scary, it gave everyone the view that everyone has today. The movie had a really good plot, and a very good cast(Voight, Reynolds). I recomend this film to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: It'll make you squeal like a pig
Review: A journey into the world of hillbilly's in the deep South. This movie is where "Dueling Banjos" got popular and young versions of Voight, Reynolds, and Beatty give excellent performances. The mountain people scare me. Some scenes are very disturbing but very memorable. A must see.

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Summary: Terrific, violent and distressing thriller!
Review: In 1972, the English filmmaker John Boorman ("Excalibur", "Hope and Glory") accomplished one of the most contusing and acclaimed dramas of Hollywood history.Based on James Dickey's original best-selling novel, Deliverance is a vigorous picture about the human cruelty directed with mastery by Boorman, who substituted the original profesional chosen to make the film, Sam Peckinpah. Dickey also worked on the movie (and he even has a small part as a sheriff), helping to give the correct contours and maintaining the fidelity to his shocking book: four friends, common and hard-working citizens, decide to spend the weekend challenging the dangerous and fast rapidses of the "last unpolluted river in Georgia".Worst is what waits for them in the margins. Starting from the moment in which they arrive in the mountains, the confusion with the eccentric hillbillies gets announced and explodes later into mutilation, murder and rape. After Voight and Beatty are assaulted by two hillbillies, comes one of the most distressing cinematography's sequences ,Ned Beatty under the power and strength of a sick local's inhabitant .Then, Reynolds kills one of the homosexuals, and the other scapes, this is the point in which Boorman sets inside that hostile and natural enviroment a type of "primitive" tribunal. This is the most frightening moment: what should they do?hide the body, kill the other mountain man who fled, and pretend that nothing happened, deceiving the authorities, or go to the police, admit the crime and take the risk that resides in a possible trial? the dignity and the heart of each character will be tested!Burt Reynolds gives an outstanding performance and, perhaps, the best of his career, as a man obsessed by adventure who will do to everything to survive,but the most astonishing and brave acting belongs to Ned Beatty,terrific as a poor overweight salesman who receives the most impressive punishment by the hillbillies. Agile, violent, and extremely dramatic, this thriller is powerful and courageous.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling, Exciting and Still Disturbing...
Review: DELIVERANCE (1972) was adapted from the great and controversial best-selling novel, written in 1970 by James Dickey. Made by British director John Boorman, who was relatively new to Hollywood at the time, this film was a faithful adaptation of the book, with the exception of some humor being interlaced into some of the earlier scenes. In some ways, it is even more disturbing; by juxtaposing some light comedy in the first half, Boorman makes what happens in the second half that much more nightmarish by comparison. And it is a nightmare...happening in the middle of the woods on a sunny day in the deep South.

The book told the story of four middle-aged surburbanites---Ed Gentry, Lewis Medlock (guess he did have a last name, after all), Drew Ballinger and Bobby Trippe---encouraged by nature-loving, alpha-male Lewis to brave the rapids of a river before it gets dammed for good. Told in first-person by Ed, who harbors latent homosexual desires for Lewis (though never acts upon them), the men paddle downstream in two canoes---Lewis & Drew in one, Ed & Bobby in the other---when they are separated at a river fork. As Ed & Bobby manage to get their boat ashore, and try to figure out a way to rejoin their friends, they are confronted by two mountain men with shotguns. Both are ugly. One of them is toothless. The non-toothless one forces the chubby, soft-bodied Bobby to strip half-naked and then rapes him at gunpoint, as Ed is restrained by being chained to a tree. When he has finished with Bobby, the toothless man prepares to force Ed to go down on him when Lewis finally catches up with his lost friends and shoots the first attacker with his bow & arrow, killing him almost instantly. As the toothless man runs off, Lewis attempts to lead his friends to safety down the river. However, banjo-playing Drew is shot to death by an unseen sniper (presumably the Toothless Man) and Lewis is incapacitated in an accident soon after. It is up to citified friends Ed and the now-broken-spirited Bobby to somehow gather their muster, and for Ed to learn to use his long-buried primordial instincts to help them get out of this horrible situation *and* to not arouse suspicion by the law.

The book was a compulsive page-turner and nail biter, and the well-made film is no different in that respect. Deciding to work with a 30-something cast instead of 40-somethings, Boorman cast then-rising-stars Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight as Lewis and Ed, supporting player Ronny Cox (who would achieve stardom over a decade later in BEVERLY HILLS COP, 1984) as Drew, and then-unknown Ned Beatty (in his film debut) as the unfortunate Bobby. It was casting genius. Reynolds fills Lewis Medlock perfectly, with his macho swagger hiding a surprising sensitivity which emerges once he is rendered practically useless. This performance made him a superstar (and should have earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination), and began a decade of Burt dominating at the box office, though usually in Southern-fried comedies. Voight, who had already been Oscar-nominated as urban cowboy gigolo Joe Buck in MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969), correctly tones down his usual overplaying tendencies to convey Ed Gentry's low-key complacent nature. Ronny Cox brings Drew Ballinger to life, and nearly steals the show with the film's early "Duelling Banjos" scene, and shows a lot of dramatic ability in the film's darker half. But it's Ned Beatty, in his brilliant performance as the at-first clownish and wimpy insurance salesman Bobby Trippe whose horrific trial-by-fire at first breaks him, then rebuilds him into a man who can stand up for himself and prevail, that is the film's emotional centerpiece. He definitely should have earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this very difficult role. Kudos must also be given to Bill McKinney, as the Mountain Man who rapes him; his portrayal is among the most chilling and creepy in cinematic history.

Speaking of that, this was the very first time male-on-male rape had ever been depicted on the big screen. John Boorman directed this scene with utmost care for his actors, while creating a scene that was in some ways even more horrific than had been described in James Dickey's book (there is no "squeal like a piggy" order given by the Mountain man in the book). According to Burt Reynolds' account in his autobiography, Ned Beatty was only going to do one take of this scene and Bill McKinney took his Method Acting a little too far and actually seemes like he was really going to "bang" Ned Beatty (it is maintained that he even had an erection at the beginning of this scene!); Burt and director Boorman had to intervene at one point! No matter what actually happened, this scene was handled bravely, and considering the fact that it was filmed in 1972, was especialy not easy to do. Lastly, the author himself appears at the end as Sheriff Bullard, and is amazingly well-cast in a subtely threatening (as scary as heck) cameo.

DELIVERANCE is still no less impacting as it was over 30 years ago. It is a must-see for anyone who calls themselves a movie fan.

MOST RECOMMENDED; AGES 15 & UP

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Summary: Brilliant Adventure Where Nature Faces Civilization...
Review: The spreading civilization is about to conquer another part of the uncivilized world, which is located in the Appalachian part of Georgia. This conquest of nature will be a dam that a power company is planning in order to provide more electricity for the southeast United States. The dam will drown the earth surrounding a small river, which supposedly has beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. Four men from Atlanta plan a canoe trip along the small river before the civilization makes it's cruel mark on the environment by submerging it in water.

The self-proclaimed leader of the group of four is Lewis Medlock (Burt Reynolds) who seeks nature and it's challenges. Lewis has dragged three men into the wilderness, a couple of hours away from Atlanta, Ga, where he intends to provide an experience with mother earth that they will never forget. The awareness of the forthcoming destruction of the wilderness was Lewis' reason for making a sacred canoe pilgrimage before the land and river have been submerged in an artificial lake. When the four men arrive to the starting point of their canoe trip they encounter a group of hillbillies. One of the locals, a boy, is immensely skilled with a banjo, which sets off one of the landmark scenes in the history of cinema. In the banjo scene, Drew Ballinger (Ronny Cox) is out-played by a local boy. This musical duel sets the tone for what nature is like as the four men are amazed over the boy's musical skills.

The men eventually commence their journey down the river which brings them through whitewater and an amazing wilderness full of life. During the expedition the insurance agent, Bobby Trippe (Ned Beatty), appears to annoy Lewis as he reminds him about everything that one can find in the civilized portion of society. When the group has encountered and successfully canoed through rough whitewater Bobby asks, "We beat it, didn't we." as if it was a football game. This seems to fuel Lewis' aggravation in regards to Bobby as he appears to be unfeeling to what surrounds them.

The wilderness merely exists around them as they drink beer and discuss existential purposes in life as Ed Gentry (Jon Voight) displays his gratitude to Lewis for the idea of the trip. Ed's appreciation triggers a questions that Lewis asks his friend, why did he come on the trip if he was completely content with his safe and comfortable life in Atlanta. This question is an important part of the film as it discloses an interesting notion of why people leave the comfort zone of suburbia as they venture into the wilderness where danger looms.

The river becomes the line between civilization and wilderness as the four men venture down streams where unspeakable horror eventually emerges. The four men kill one of the locals after he has ravished Bobby and come close to killing Ed. The killing brings the four men into a moral debate where the concept nature versus nurture is brought to light as they discuss whether they should inform law enforcement or hide the corpse. This presents the audience with an ambiguously interesting notion as Drew insists on following learned civilized morals while Lewis brings forth a more Darwinistic attitude as survival seems more important.

Deliverance depicts gruesome violence brought upon the characters in the film where they need to find a way to survive as they intrinsically struggle with learned values of what is right and wrong. These values do not exist in nature where there is only one way to survive, as the strongest will live and the weak will perish. This might seem cruel and ruthless, but then the audience should ponder civilizations ruthless methods used to conquer nature. In the backdrop of Darwinism and civilization building, John Boorman brings the audience a film that will not be forgotten as it offers suspense, horror, and many morals to contemplate. The film is also supported by a well-performing cast and scenes of a beautiful environment that enhance the visual experience as it almost recreates a feeling of being present on location.

Rating:
Summary: IT WAS O.K!!!!
Review: First of all, I wasn't born until the 80's, so I definitely hadn't watched this film. In fact, at the time, I had never even heard of it, so I had no idea what it was about. My older co-worker mentioned this film, and went into some detail of what it was about. After, I finally got the nerve to watch it myself surprisingly I thought it was decent. A little over-rated, but just o.k at best. However, I must say that the rape scene seems to be the most talked about part of the film. Personally, I thought it was one of the most degrading things ever captured on film. Then again, compared to what I have witnessed on other films it could've been a lot worse. I'm glad it wasn't. My major gripe is that this movie goes sooo slow. Quite frankly, up until the rape scene, I was dozing off. To keep it short, I watched it that one time, and it will probably be the last time. I wouldn't suggest that anyone buys this.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING FILMS EVER MADE
Review: "Deliverance" is a powerful movie with disturbing scenes and complex characters that show the dark side of the human being. The main characters are Ed (played by Jon Voight), a calm and serene guy; Lewis (Burt Reynolds) a physical guy that is always looking for thrills and adventures; Bobby (played by Ned Beatty) a friendly guy; Drew (Ronny Cox) an ill-fated guy.

The main characters are very believable and complex, but the supporting cast is equally believable, and they portray creepy and frightening characters, sometimes "Deliverance" looks more like a Documental than like a fiction movie, because the film shows the dark side of the human being in a very realistic way.

The movie features beautiful landscapes like forests, a small but dangerous river and beautiful open spaces, all of them beautifully captured by the photography. All this makes a remarkable contrast with the powerful, violent scenes that the movie displays. The music is excellent, in the early scenes there is a fabulous duel between a banjo and a guitar that invites to clap and dance, but when the main characters are in danger, the same music creates suspense and makes a dark atmosphere.

"Deliverance" is a powerful movie, with impressive scenes, and disturbing events, definitely it's not for all tastes, but audiences looking for a complex film should see "Deliverance".

Rating:
Summary: yeee-haw!!!!
Review: Now I had ter go all teh way into the big city to find this her video. It is the best movew ever that been made! Them city-folk din't know what hit them! Canoein' down a big ol' river like that they should known that they'd be all not good! Man when they ran into them moutian men BAM! they got what was comin' to them an' all. But who hadn't been there though?!?! That scene really got momma in da mood!! (Me too I must admits) And dis picture show dun be funy too! When that green horn shot himself whoo-eee! I laughed one of teeth out!!! I missed then endin though, my cousin came a callin' an couldn't never say no to her!

So buy this picture show, it be good

Rating:
Summary: Still jarring
Review: I saw this movie when it first came out in 1972. Going in, I knew very little about the story and was unsure what to expect. I left the theater thoroughly shaken.

Adapted from the novel by the late James Dickey, this harrowing film pulls no punches. It was (and still is) difficult to watch. But its gritty realism left quite an impression on me, and I found myself thinking about the movie and its characters long afterward.

I was very happy to discover that Deliverance had been released on DVD. Although there are few extras -- info on cast and crew, some brief behind-the-scenes text, a 10-minute featurette, and theatrical trailer -- the movie still carries considerable punch. The DVD is double-sided, offering both wide-screen and full-screen formats.

Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds (in the best performance of his career), Ronnie Cox and Ned Beatty are first-rate in their portrayals of Ed, Lewis, Drew and Bobby. Incredibly, they do most of their own stunts, and the risk involved in making this film actually precluded obtaining insurance. It couldn't have been an easy shoot, and my hat goes off to the four actors as well as to James Dickey, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and producer/director John Boorman and company.

Many other reviewers have described the plot and mentioned notable scenes, so I won't rehash them here. Suffice it to say that this film is subtle at times and slow-moving in spots (which I don't consider to be negatives), multi-layered, and doesn't smack you in the face with special effects. Questions remain unanswered at the end of the film, leaving the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions. Rather than spoon-feeding you every detail and wrapping everything in a tidy box at the end, this film invites you to *think*.

As far as I'm concerned, they just don't make movies like Deliverance anymore. To me, it's a classic. I highly recommend both the film and the DVD.