Deliverance [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Adapted from James Dickey's popular novel, John Boorman's 1972 movie recounts the grueling psychological and physical journey taken by four city slickers down a river in the backwoods of Georgia. At the behest of Iron John-esque Lewis (Burt Reynolds), the less adventuresome Ed (Jon Voight), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) agree to canoe down an uncharted section of the river before a dam project ruins the region. After warnings from the grimy, impoverished locals, and Drew's tuneful yet ominous "Dueling Banjos" encounter with a mute inbred boy, the four men embark on their trip, exulting in the beauty of nature and the initial thrill of the rapids. The next day, however, things begin to take a turn for the worse when Bobby and Ed decide to rest on shore after becoming separated from Lewis and Drew. Two rifle-wielding mountain men (Bill McKinney and Herbert "Cowboy" Coward) emerge from the woods, tying up Ed while one of them rapes Bobby and makes him "squeal like a pig." Lewis and Drew rescue them, but the attack irrevocably changes the tenor of the journey. As the river gets rougher and rougher, the men come to nightmarish grips with what it means to survive outside the safety net of "civilization." ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • 4-Part 35th Anniversary Retropective With the Film's Stars, Director John Boorman and Others, Exploring the Winding Journey From Original Novel Through Production and Release, Including a Look at the Movie's Controversial Abduction Sequence
  • Commentary by Director John Boorman
  • Vintage Featurette The Dangerous World of Deliverance
  • Theatrical Trailer.

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Director - 1972 (John Boorman)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1972 (Tom Priestley)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1972 (John Boorman)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 1972 (John Boorman)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Director - 1972 (John Boorman)
•     Nominated Best Original Song - 1972 (Arthur Smith, Eric Weissberg)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - 1972 (Jon Voight)
•     Nominated Best Picture - Drama - 1972
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 1972 (James Dickey)

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1972

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Jon Voight - Ed Gentry
       Burt Reynolds - Lewis Medlock
       Ned Beatty - Bobby Trippe
       Ronny Cox - Drew Ballinger
       Bill McKinney - Mountain Man
       James Dickey - Sheriff
       Belinda Beatty - Martha Gentry

• Director:

  John Boorman

• Producer:

  John Boorman

• Book Author:

  James Dickey

• Screenwriter:

  Dale Dye, James Dickey

• Cinematographer:

  Vilmos Zsigmond

• Songwriter:

  Steve Mandel

• Editor:

  Tom Priestley

• Production Designer:

  John Mansbridge, Louis Mann

• Art Director:

  Fred Harpman

• Costume Designer:

  Bucky Rous

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Doug Turner, Walter Goss

• Makeup:

  Michael Hancock

• Special Effects:

  Marcel Vercoutere

• First Assistant Director:

  Al Jennings

• Camera Operator:

  Bill Butler

• Musical Performer:

  Eric Weissberg

REVIEW:

• It's too bad that this film has become better known for one disturbing scene of man-to-man sexual violence than as a whole film, because Deliverance is one of the best stories about men pushed to their physical and emotional limits ever put onscreen. The movie has great action, drama, and suspense in a fascinating backwoods setting that enhances all three. Moreover, its Heart of Darkness-like storyline engages big questions of civilization versus instinct and morality versus necessity. Deliverance is directed with tense precision by John Boorman from a strong screenplay by James Dickey, who had authored the popular book of the same title. Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography is brilliant throughout. He beautifully captures the awe and power of the wilderness and expresses visually what the unfortunate canoeists come to learn: that nature, like the folks who inhabit it, can easily shift from serene to sinister. This was Burt Reynolds' breakthrough performance, and it's a showcase for his disarming charm and physical presence. Also impressive in their major film debuts are the two meeker members of the group, the ill-fated Ronny Cox and the nearly-as-ill-fated Ned Beatty. Jon Voight, then the only established star of the bunch, doesn't disappoint, and, through his subtly expressive face, we see how psychologically wounded the men are by their experience. But the real stars, arguably, are the hillbillies, who are frighteningly believable to say the least. Banjo-boy Billy Redden endured two hours of makeup for his cosmetic inbreeding, and while he may not be a household name, his is easily one of the 1970s' most memorable, if brief, cinematic appearances. Just be warned: you'll never listen to a banjo the same way again. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi