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Deliverance





I had come to know this movie as the Hillbilly rape-revenge flick but consider my surprise when I find out this was more of a survival film fighting the elements of mother nature. Sure the added dangers of dead bodies piling up create tension and logistical problems for our characters, but it was interesting to me to see how this movie has been known for one scene and one scene only for decades since its release. There is so much more to dive into with this movie and I'm glad I finally sat down to watch it.

When four friends decide to go on a canoeing trip down the Cahulawassee River before it becomes one giant lake, they run into problems when two members find themselves at odds with two mountain men who sexually assault and threaten to kill them. In an act of self-defense, one of the mountain men is killed and the four friends must decide what to do with the body and how to navigate the rest of the dangerous waters.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. With beautiful cinematography, tense action sequences and suspense at almost every corner, deliverance delivers a solid time. It was nice to see Reynolds, the 'star' be side-lined with a broken leg and have us now spend time with Jon Voight. He's less sure of himself and we as an audience lose confidence in them making it out of this alive.

Solid nomination.