Deliverance

UPC: 085391142775

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Rape & Sexual Abuse, Not For Children, Profanity]

Summary: 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

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Director – null Best Screenplay – null Best Original Song – null Best Original Song – null Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Original Song – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Song – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

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.

Deliverance

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 09/18/2007

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 109 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Matthew Doberman

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

Cast and Crew: Seamon Glass  Actor 
Ed Ramey  Actor 
Herbert Coward  Actor 
Macon McCalman  Actor 
Lewis Crone  Actor 
Ed O'Neill  Actor 
Belinda Beatty  Actor 
John Fowler  Actor 
Billy Redden  Actor 
Randall Deal  Actor 
Johnny Popwell, Sr.  Actor 
Charley Boorman  Actor 
Ken Keener  Actor 
James Dickey  Screenwriter 
John Boorman  Director 
John Boorman  Producer 
Dale Dye  Screenwriter 
Jon Voight  Actor 
Burt Reynolds  Actor 
Ned Beatty  Actor 
Ronny Cox  Actor 
Bill McKinney  Actor 
James Dickey  Actor 

Country: USA