Deliverance - The final journey
Based on the James Dickey novel, the 1972 film chronicles the arduous physical and mental journey of four city dwellers down a river in the pristine wilderness of Georgia.
The four men, played by Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox, decide to paddle down an unexplored part of a river before a planned dam project destroys the surroundings.
Despite warnings from the dirty and poor locals and a famously ominous Banjo duel with a mute inbred boy, the men set off into the beautiful countryside and exciting rapids. The very next day conditions take a turn for the worse and the men find themselves in the nightmare that can occur when something goes wrong outside the safety net of civilization.
It is a film of great contrasts that emphasizes the differences between modern man, with his impulse to change, and raw nature with its pristine beauty. The film which, even in 2014, must be described as ultra-violent, dives deep into metaphysical questions of human survival.
A classic horror movie and a sad but nonetheless brilliant reminder that humans can be the most threatening monsters of all.
