At last Warner Brothers has released a suitable special edition of John Boorman’s classic from 1972, Deliverance. Based on the best selling novel by James Dickey, Deliverance still lives in film history for the iconic Dueling Banjos scene and a certain other scene that makes men cringe containing the immortal “Squeal like a pig.”
It is dismissive though to think of the film only in terms of those two landmark scenes. Deliverance is perhaps the ultimate male nightmare where he is forced to confront his true nature under dire circumstances and discover who he really is.
The tagline of the film (This is the weekend they didn’t play golf) is memorably paraphrased by the tentative Ed in an attempt to get Lewis to turn back; “Let’s go back to town Lewis. Play golf.” The danger turns Lewis on and the other three go along with him. They hit the river and things go smoothly enough. Then fate intervenes in the form of a shocking, traumatic event and the men are forced to quickly reexamine and in Voight’s case, completely alter their personalities for survival’s sake.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and Boorman get some amazing footage of the men going through the rapids. The film is able to touch on many of the themes that define masculinity in particular the ultimate test of man being out in the wilderness with nothing except his instinct for survival. The fact that you get no inclination that this is what will be the ultimate thread in the film makes the last hour even more terrifying. All four men are forced to confront their true nature and in some instances kill or be killed. It also uncomfortably focuses on the most inherent fear in men, that being the fear of sexual violation.
This is not a film that can be easily dismissed psychologically or emotionally. Much like the characters that survive at the end, the viewer is forever changed and will never be able to forget what has happened. The final shot of one of the survivors waking up to a nightmare is the perfect coda that will catch you off-guard. This is what films were meant to do. Not to be some mindless narcotic for one to check your brain off for two hours but a work of art that stimulates the mind and makes you think about what it means to be alive and what lengths you would go to in order to stay alive. The film earned three Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Director.
Deliverance (Deluxe Edition) is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
TSep 13th, 2007 - 05:18:48
This movie does indeed have some disturbing parts. I can't wait to listen to the commentary.
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