Deliverance - 1972

Movie #176

4 stars

Four friends from the suburbs take a canoeing trip down a Georgia River but the locals start to turn on them.

Cast: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney

Director:  John Boorman

Screenplay/Novel: James Dickey




I wanted to watch this movie after reading about FULL METAL JACKET.  Stanley Kubrick wanted Bill McKinney to play Sgt Hartman but Kubrick said that he was so unsettled after watching him in DELIVERANCE that he didn't even want to meet McKinney....wow.

For some movies it is especially important to put them in context.  DELIVERANCE, which was made in 1972, would have scared the living daylights out of me if I watched in the theatre.  The movie just gives you the creeps...the location, the characters, and especially the music...all creepy.

"Dueling Banjos" is an integral part of the film.  We first hear it when the 4 men arrive in a small town (could you even call that a town?).  Every time I heard the song in the rest of the film, all I could think about was that creepy boys face.  See the video below.  In 1973, the song was #2 for four weeks on the U.S. pop chart.  I sure as he** know that I would never want to listen to that in my car.  Then again...the next time I'm driving through a rural part of somewhere, I'm going to play it....I'll let you know the effect.

Even though the film was a little slow paced...the shots of the river made it bearable.  It was actually pretty....but it made me never, ever, want to canoe down a river.

I have to give best actor to Jon Voight.  It's not that I didn't like Burt Reynolds performance it's just that the role didn't require a lot of acting.  The runner up would definitely be Ned Beatty.  His role required a lottttt.

****spoiler alert**** Don't read if you haven't watched it

The ending could have been a lot more effective if the hand came out of the water and Voight jumped up in bed...then immediately cut to black.  The whole thing with his wife comforting him was just irritating.  It would have had a better shock effect on the audience...because seriously...that had to have been what they were going for.  I mean...that rape scene could go down in movie history as one of the most disturbing...a man raping another man...in 1972!

****end of spoiler alert****

Overall Recommendation: Squeal like a pig...and watch this movie!!! 

And if you don't feel like watching the movie then at least watch the clip of the dueling banjos