Deliverance (1972)

Released: July 30, 1972. Director: John Boorman. Stars: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty. Runtime: 110 min. Review written on: November 14, 2012.

What if your river-rafting trip turned into a ride to hell like this one does?

Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it’s turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they’ll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

The character of Lewis is great because he is threatening, and nature-savvy. Ed is also a great character because he’s pretty timid, and his story is of trying to overcome the odd dangers that face him, and getting over those damn shakes.

Finally, after seeing this I understand whenever someone references Deliverance. There’s some very dark scenes here and there, and the pacing is great. Near the beginning, one might want something to happen. There’s many memorable scenes like the opening comedic voice-over to that banjo duel between Drew and that little kid; it gets more enjoyable as it goes along. This is a film that knows how to be both fun (which is evident in the banjo scene), disturbing (expressed in the rape scene in the woods [it shouldn’t be considered a spoiler, this movie is almost 41 years old]), and thrilling. The characters are great and the acting is great. I really enjoy the story, too. This is a great river-rafting adventure that make the water seem quite, quite dangerous.

Score: 80/100