Deliverance

Rating:
Summary: Haunting and Powerful!!
Review: James Dickey's gripping novel becomes an awesome film. Four men's lives are forever changed on a weekend trip to the Appalachian back woods. That's the making of an incredible, action packed but haunting motion picture. The book was very well written. But it was the author, Dickey, that made the movie succeed as close to what he would have made it. That included a role as the sheriff at the end of the movie. I recommend you read the book first and then watch the movie bring all the characters to life. It still works today as it did when it was released 30 years ago.

Rating:
Summary: Frustrating
Review: To begin with the cliche "overrated" as a proviso wouldn't suit my argument for Deliverance, a film which left me extremely cold and disappointed after much hype and excitement. Other 70s movies which spring to mind when the word overrated comes to argument are the likes of MASH and The Sting, but unlike those two Deliverance frustrates me more than it inclines me to use overrated term. It is frustrating because it is difficult to imagine what went through the mind of the director when he tackled such a promising project and whether he thought the demands for the story had really been met on screen. Could Deliverance have been better than its presence suggests or was John Boorman satisfied with his work?

The plot is plausible enough and the casting impressive. Burt Reynolds is effective as the leader of four hillbillie businessmen who set out on a canoing adventure in the middle of nowhere. John Voight and Ronny Cox are almost unrecognisable from other work they have done, although both bring strong humanity to their challenging roles. So far so good then. If only it could have been that simple. Unfortunately Boorman's heavy handed direction and painfully slow pace transpire dullness and confusion into the plot.

The duelling banjos sequence acts as a stong methaphor but is overlong. By the time the four protagonists arrive at their destination almost 1/4 of the film's running time has been needfully taken up. The ostentatious use of the beautiful scenery is simultaniously patronising and frustrating for the viewer. Instead of examining the development of each character's change in environment and civilisation as a whole Boorman substitutes for a series of overlong and dire set pieces. The scene in which the gang dispose of one of the rednecks, for instance, seems rushed and provokes little sympathy or anger from the viewer.

Much of what else happens is also meandering and ineffective. The actors do their best to portray a feeling of isolation and danger that is never really felt within the viewer. One contrasting set piece is the immaculate filming of the raging current taking effect and consequently taking half of Reynold's leg off and nearly killing Cox. After that rare thrill the camera goes completely through the motions towards the film's predictable anti-climax when the unremarkable title does little to justify itself. Would God want to deliver flawed characters from evil, men who have killed and buried another man at their own free will? The John Voight voice-over adds little impact to the already flagged narrative.

Rating:
Summary: The best thing I can say about this movie is .......
Review: "Thank God it wasnt filmed in my home state!" Congratulations Georgia, as if you didn't have enough problems.

Some movies just dont hold up over time and this is a good example. I remember this flick had much more impact on it's release, it was different and I guess it appealed to all us closet banjo pickers that fantasized about marrying our aunts, cousins, sisters, mothers, etc.

And if you've ever been whitewater rafting there's not much about the Cuhulawasassawasee that will intimidate you. And as far as that whole "pig" thing goes, I always felt Ned Beatty was the wrong guy for that scene...my choice would have been Ronny Cox onacounta the fact that any Y chromosome deficient that brings a guitar along on a camping trip with his buddies is just asking for it. Hey, come to think of it, maybe that's why he a Burt were late showing up for the rescue??? Hmmmn.

The DVD is nothing to squeal about either. The 5.1 audio is pretty solid but the video could be a little sharper. Dont look for any extras here. The movie itself is depressing enough and overall the DVD is one big letdown.

Rating:
Summary: "I never been insured in my life. There's no risk."
Review: John Boorman's "Deliverance" is not a National Geographic film celebrating the beauty of nature. It is a film that deals entirely with a different kind of nature - the darker aspects of human nature. Lewis (Burt Reynolds) is an urbanite who fancies himself a man of the outdoors. To showcase his masculinity, he takes a group of friends with him on a canoe trip down a whitewater river in Georgia. The rest of the gang: Ed (John Voight), Drew (Ronnie Cox), and Bobby (Ned Beatty) are bona-fide urbanites totally out of their element in the wilderness. They make no pretensions about being the outdoors type because they know they are not. Lewis on the other hand, never abandons his charade and calmly reassures them that nature can be tamed.

At the outset, Lewis is proved correct. The canoe trip proves to be an exhilarating experience. However, disaster looms on the horizon, not by the natural hazards around the men, but by man himself. The four men soon find themselves victims of the denizens of the non-civilized world and their recreational trip turns into tragedy. Hard choices have to be made from the events that transpire. Three of the men return from the trip with their preconceptions of life forever altered and less one friend.

John Boorman's film still maintains much of its raw power to this day. Some of its violence has been muted due to the common sight of similar violence in mainstream entertainment and real-life but the foreboding atmosphere created by the film still chills with every viewing. The film is also a welcome reminder of just how good an actor Burt Reynolds was in his prime. Many people forget that this was the top male actor of the late 1970's and early 1980's due to the fact that he was involved in so many forgettable projects since his heyday. To see him while he was still a passionate and dedicated actor is thrilling. Mention must also be made of John Voight who also distinguishes himself and proves that his performance in "Midnight Cowboy" was no fluke. Finally, no critique of "Deliverance" is complete without a mention of "Dueling Banjos", but what more needs to be said in that regard?

Rating:
Summary: One-of-a-kind adventure
Review: Four men head out from Atlanta into the Appalachian highlands, to take a last look at the Cahulawassee River, under the apparent leadership of Lewis (Reynolds). They encounter local "hill" folk in a region above the town of Aintry, thinking at first that the power company might already have evacuated it in preparation for a hydroelectric project. Bobby (Beatty) makes fun of the gentleman who finally services their vehicle, while Drew (Cox) engages a local banjo-picking youth in one of the signatures of the film, a round of "Duelling Banjos" where Drew eventually becomes "lost". After finding some drivers to take the two vehicles downstream, with Lewis promising to take Bobby home in time for NFL football after two nights on the river, they set out in two canoes, with Ed (Voight) packing a hunting bow that Lewis observes is "losing 'glass". Bobby must deal with Lewis's spirited style, while Ed cautions Drew against approaching anything too wild too rapidly. Camping for the night, all looks well, as indeed it does into the next day, though Ed is unable to draw down successfully on an actual animal with his bow. With partners switched, Bobby and Ed have their now-legendary encounter with two mischievous locals, broken only by the "center shot" that Lewis takes with the bow when the other canoe catches up. The stakes appear to have been raised, as the boys need to cover up and move on, having voted to put everything behind them and below several hundred feet of water, when the dam is finished. But haste makes waste, and with the continued sense that they are being stalked by the remaining mountain man, they hurry along down the gorge, eventually wrecking their wooden canoe and losing Drew in the boiling rapids, to a cause that is not apparently clear. While Bobby nurses Lewis, who has a critical injury, Ed attempts to climb out of the gorge, spending the 2nd night on the rocks. At daybreak he finally scores with his bow, only to find that the three men now have even more to smooth over. At Aintry, the two vehicles have been dutifully left, only the Sherriff (Dickey) needs to figure out just what went on. The ragged crew must linger in town; Lewis and Ed in the hospital and Bobby among the local folk he had brushed aside on the first day. Still, Bobby's prayer for "deliverance" near the fateful mossy log proves effective, and the two vehicles return to the smug, air-conditioned suburban life, with the Sherriff advising against such an act in the future, so that "the town can die peacefully".

It is interesting to observe the fates of each man, on the basis of what one would expect from ordinary justice, given their initial attitudes towards the river and the people. Lewis, full of respect and backcountry skill, is nonetheless taken near death's door, while Drew, whose harmony with the surroundings is a rich one, is shown no mercy. Ed's approach, including the bearing of arms, proves ultimately to save his life, but Bobby, who basically has no respect at all for the land, walks away with nary a scrape.

Thus has topography and hydrography been placed under another set of outsiders' feet, and thus has it responded. Preparation is but one factor, it would appear, in a successful weekend, up in the woods. When accessing the inaccessible, there is little that can be taken for granted. I can watch this film again and again, even with knowledge of the outcome, for it seems to teach a new lesson at every turn. The woods are hardly a simple matter, despite the preconceptions one has, prior to one's entry into them.

Rating:
Summary: overall a very average movie
Review: I remember reading the book years ago and finding it to be pretty thrilling. I can't say as I found the same in the movie. There were some suspenseful moments but overall a great amount of tedium. The characters were strongly lacking in anything of interest most especially that portrayed by Burt Reynolds. The scenery on the other hand was fantastic. Best I can say for this one is I managed to stay awake the entire time it was on.

Rating:
Summary: Great Flick!
Review: Remember the first time you saw this movie? So do I. If you didn't read the book first, which I didn't until recently, you just knew something bad was gonna happen. But this bad? As breathtaking as the river and wilderness scenes are, the crime is just as shocking. You'd expect a woman to be a rape victim so far from civilization, but with the in-bred hillbillies, anyone will do. And do they show everything that happened. But when Lewis appears drifting slowly along with bow cocked full bore, you cheered because the good guy showed up. There's not really much more to tell, because if we are looking at reviews, we probably seen the movie, more than once! However, if you are thinking about the DVD, buy it. Crisp, clear and very nicely done. You'll be dreaming of (civilized) canoe trips come summer time. I got the novel by Dickey from Amazon.com last Christmas, and I got the DVD this one. They compliment each other so I suggest do both. James Dickey worked hands on with the director, you'll see this in the DVD extras, and the result rings true. Dickey is also the sheriff at the end of the movie which I never knew before the DVD. Spend a weekend reading the book and watching the DVD and it'll be a weekend well spent.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Film Based on a Great Novel
Review: Deliverance, the film, was based on the brilliant and insightful novel of the same name by James Dickey. Both are superb examples of their respective craft. While people with a casual knowledge of the film only remember the "squeal like a pig" sequence, there is so much more to it than that. Deliverance is quintessentially a "guy's film", but not in the usual sense of the word (inane and predictable Hollywood "thrillers", filled with explosions and car chases). Deliverance focuses on the need of men who have reached their middle years (as many of us have), for one last great adventure. Unfortunately, this one goes very wrong.
There are many things which set this film apart from the typical Hollywood movie of today. First, it makes some subtle and intelligent observations on male attitudes toward power. Burt Reynolds "mighty hunter" character is much admired by the other men, but ironically, is seriously injured and does little for much of the movie. In contrast, Ned Beatty's character is sexually assaulted (through no fault of his own) and afterwards is looked down upon by the other characters ("Blaming the victim"). Second, as other reviewers have pointed out, the villains are truly frightening. Why? Because unlike today's blow-dried film bad guys, they seem real: not actors, but exactly the kind of low-lifes you might stumble into in a remote wilderness area, not just in the South, but anywhere!
Third, the film has a strong sense of realism through its use of ambiguity. For example, when they kill the second mountain man: Was he one of their attackers or just some unfortunate guy out hunting? When one of the characters falls overboard and disappears: was he shot by the bad guys, or did he just pass out and fall overboard? These are the kinds of uncertainties which would occur in an extreme situation such as this ("the fog of war").The film respects the intelligence of the viewer enough to not provide easy answers to these questions.
I could go on, but suffice it to say that Deliverance is an intelligent, subtle, and finely crafted film, truly one of the great ones. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Gives new meaning to wilderness survival
Review: A classic film from the 70's, Deliverance has aged beautifully. It is still a great suspense film, disturbing in its portrayal of "city folk" against "mountain men." But more importantly, it asks the question: "what would you do in their situation?"

When the four friends depart on the river, they think they know themselves. But it's not until they're faced with life at its harshest that they know their true selves. Powerful performances by Jon Voight, Ned Betty and Burt Reynolds bring the characters alive.

Added to this excellent film are beautiful vistas along the river. The scenery alone makes this film enjoyable.

There are some immature people who can't handle the controversial scene along the river, but don't let any of them steer you away from this movie. The scene, while disturbing and powerful, isn't as bad as some narrow-minded people, insecure about themselves, think it is. This film is a classic, and stands the test of time.

Rating:
Summary: Essential viewing just for the cultural references
Review: There were many times where I felt left out of a joke because, while I knew the source material, I did not know the context of "Squeal like a pig" or the sound of "Dueling Banjos". I finally sat down one Sunday afternoon with a copy of Deliverance just so I wouldn't feel so left out.

While I now understand all the little marks this film left on pop culture, it also brought on two unexpected reactions from me. #1)No matter how well you think you know yourself, you will only know your "true" self when put in unfamiliar situations. Sure, it is easy to say "Well, I would react this way if that happened!", truth is you don't know sqaut until someone puts you to the actual test.

#2)What happened to films like this? This movie, and most movies of the pre-1980's, were willing to spend time engrossing you. Let the camera linger for that extra second, let the visual truly sink in. Let the characters have a discussion about mundane, every day life....it let's you crawl into their head a little bit more, and makes the situations they are put into seem all that more real, and in this case, startling to you. Take any of today's movies like "Matrix" or "Swordfish" that rely so heavily on their pretty special effects, I felt no connection to the characters, no concern when something happens to them. Give me a movie like Deliverance, or any of it's other pre-1980's ilk, and I will be a happy camper!