Three suburbanites are convinced by their adventurous friend to take a canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River in backwoods Georgia before the beautiful scenic area is flooded by the power company. After arriving and having two locals park their vehicles down river and engaging a young inbreed in a rendition of "Dueling Banjos", the men begin their trip down river and admire the beauty that lies before them. Soon, their luck begins to turn and they see the other side of nature and the dark side of man as well. Deliverance is both an exciting adventure story as well as a horror filled survival tale. From a script by James Dickey who also wrote the novel, it is directed by John Boorman who wonderfully captures the rustic scenery. The movie contains riveting performances by Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight, two actors most don't much consider for their acting abilities, as well as good work from Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox. The sense of dread created is palatable thanks in large part to the hillbilly characters who populate the film, particularly the two in the notorious rape sequence. While watching the film, I had trouble in several instances discerning what was going on in key scenes. Though critical at first, I soon appreciated this effect, as it must be the same disorientation being felt by the characters in the film. Deliverance is a wonderfully crafted film with fine performances that shows an all encompassing view of both human nature and nature in general.
