Deliverance

[Mr 5 0]

I'm not a movie connoisseur but I know a classic when I see it and Deliverance is a classic for many reasons and in many ways.

The ominous, slow-building tension as the city boys find themselves feeling awkward, confused and resentful in the back-country culture. The famous 'dueling banjos' scene, the humiliation of 'Bobby Trippe' (Ned Beatty) the raw violence, the whitewater scenes, even the climax and the epilog (don't want to spoil it for those who may want to rent this gem) all combine to make a gripping film that's unforgettable because it's done in a realistic, minimalist style that taps into our most primal fears. Ordinary people caught up in a very threatening and dangerous situation and how they respond. Scary, but real.

Painstakingly detailed, too. Watch the scene at the gas station where Ned Beatty is ribbing the old guy about the way he wears his hat, and the fella takes off his hat, looks at it, then deadpans, "You don't know a damn thing". Classic.

Of course, it probably set Georgia tourism back quite a bit and even now, just saying 'Deliverance' when refering to an 'inbred'-type person is usually enough to make the point.
That's how big an influence this film has had on popular culture. How many films can say that after almost 30 years? Not many.

BTW: Everybody knows the banjo tune 'Deliverance' even now, 29 years after the film was released but it was never even nominated for an Oscar. The Theme from The Poseidon Adventure won the musical Oscar for 1973. So much for the value of an Oscar.

Trivia Note: James Dickey, the man who wrote the book 'Deliverance' was based on, appears in a noticeable role as the Sheriff, at the end of the movie. Cool.

Warning: Deliverance is really a 'guy' movie. Women might enjoy it but it's 100% male-oriented, just about no women appear in the film until the very end (and then only briefly) and it's aimed at the male psyche.

Four Stars, all the way!