deliverance be a brilliant condense epic of a group of thoroughly modern men who embark on a canoe trip to briefly commune with nature and and instead have to fight for their sanity and their life and and perhaps even their soul . the film have age well . despite be make in the early seventy and it certainly doesn not look particularly date . it still possess a visceral punch and iconic status a a dramatic post death of the sixty philosophical and cultural shock vehicle . there be very few film with similar conceit that can compare favourably to it and although the legendary sam peckinpah stuff would have to be up there . yes and there have be considerable debate and discussion about the film most confronting scene ( which i would not expand upon here ) and undoubtedly one of the most confronting scene in the entire history of the cinematic medium but what surprise about this film be how achingly beautiful it be at time . this seem to be generally overlook ( yet in retrospect quite understandably so ) . the cinematography that capture the essence of the vanishing and fragile river wilderness be often absolutely stunning and and it counterbalance the film a and in a moment of brief madness and we the viewer along with the character themselves be plunge into unrelenting nightmare . deliverance narrative be fittingly lean and sinewy and and it be surprising how quickly event unfold from point of establishment and through to crisis and and aftermath . it all take place very quickly and which lend a sense of very real urgency to the film . the setting be establish effectively through the opening credit . the character be all well draw despite limited time spend on back story . we know just enough about them to know them for the kind of man they be and like them and ultimately fear for them when all go to hell . the conflict and violence within the movie seem to erupt out of nowhere and with a frightening lack of logic . this be author james dickey theme that any prevailing romanticism about the nature of man perceive inherent goodness can only wilt and die when his barely suppress animal instinct come to the fore . there be no demon or bogeyman here . the predatory hillbilly a the film central villain be merely crude and terrifyingly amoral cousin of our protagonist . they shock because their evil be petty and tangible . the film have no peripheral character . all reflect something about the weakness and uncertainty of urbanised homo sapiens in the latter 20th century and and all be very real and recognisable . burt reynolds be wonderful in this movie a the gung ho and almost fatally over confident survivalist and lewis and and it be a shame to think that he really couldn not recapture his brief moment of dramatic glory throughout the rest of his still sputter up and down career ( boogie night exclude and perhaps ) . trust me and if your be not a reynolds fan and you will be impress with his performance here . john voight be his usual effortlessly accomplish self and and ned beatty and ronny cox both make significant contribution . this be simply a great quartet of actor . to conclude and i must speculate a to if and when deliverance author james dickey to the white sea will be make . for those that enjoy ( . ) this film and ttws be a similarly harrowing tale of an american air force pilot struggle for survival after be shot down over the japanese mainland during ww2 . it more of the typically bleak existentialism and primordial savagery that be dickey trademark and but it have all the making of a truly spectacular and poetic cinematic experience . there be the suggestion a few year ago that the coen brother might be produce it and but that eventually come to nothing . be an avid coen o phile it disappoint me to think what might have be have they get the green light on ttws and rather than their last couple of relatively undistinguished effort . return to deliverance and it impossible to imagine a movie of such honest and unnerving brutality be make in these time and and that be pretty shameful . we and the cinema go public and be all the poorer for this .