It’s fair to say I was too young when I first saw Deliverance. More importantly, I had no idea what the film was about. It seemed to be about four guys trying to paddle down a tough river. There are some uncomfortable, but folksy encounters with the locals and scenes that show the four men have some friction between them. Perhaps the locals are stalking the quartet, and this is a film about fear of other cultures. Then comes “the event”, a prolonged sequence that takes away any feeling that you’re safe in the hands of the film. Deliverance is a Thriller that becomes a Nightmare. Our heroes are at the mercy of strangers who want to kill us (and worse) for reasons we can’t understand. Anything can happen now, or nothing. Either way this becomes a nerve-shredding experience. It takes a 2nd look before you can even wrap your head around the larger themes of masculinity and the working class encroaching on nature.
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