Review CIV - Deliverance

Review 104
Deliverance (1972)

Pop quiz! Who came up with the idea of "survival of the fittest"? Many of you may be inclined to say Charles Darwin, the man who pushed the idea of evolution and natural selection; however, you would be wrong (though Darwin was still also on this page). This Social Darwinist idea is attributed to Herbert Spencer. He figured that some human beings are superior over others - like those who were Caucasian, rich, and educated - given their genes and, in the end, they will be the ones that stand up tall. Well, then comes along John Boorman's Deliverance which decides to show us how big white man's burden really is. It stars Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox.

Lewis Medlock (Burt Reynolds), Ed Gentry (Jon Voight), Bobby Trippe (Ned Beatty), and Drew Ballinger (Ronny Cox) all decide to take a canoe camping trip up by Cahulawassee River in Georgia, United States, which will soon be flooded by a dam being built nearby. However, their trip may turn out to be more than just a weekend getaway. What did happen on the Cahulawassee River?

I debated reviewing this film, buuuuut then I decided why not? The film is relatively well known given one particular scene in the film, so I thought it must be worth a watch, right? Wrong. Burt Reynold's character starts, right off the bat, bringing up this idea that only the strong will survive. Already you know where this film is going. And then we see the hillbillies and we know, without a doubt, what's going on. Because seriously, who trusts hillbillies (I don't know any hillbillies personally, so maybe they're not all that bad, but in horror/thriller films, they're bad)? Honestly, I... don't really have much to say. The film was predictable, where the white guys are all disconnected from nature and carry white man's burden because they're so privileged, but it comes to bite them in the butt (or other things in the butt). But seriously, there's a difference to being naïve about nature and being complete idiots. I'll talk about one scene - the most popular scene of the film. So spoilers for the next paragraph!

Prior to the scene, we see Ed attempting to shoot a deer with a bow-and-arrow, but he can't because he can't see himself killing a living creature. I can't hate on him because I wouldn't want to shoot a deer in any way unless I was starving and had to, though I will say that the acting in this scene was ridiculous. He was shaking like a Parkinson's disease patient. I know they're trying to show his fear, but seriously? We're not daft. Anyway, we see this guy is soft, right? Now the infamous scene. Well, later on, him and Bobby canoe ahead of Lewis and Drew and, while stopping, they come across these two hillbillies. These hillbillies smell the fear on these guys and proceed to harass them until one of them rapes Bobby. Guys, this was ridiculous. Ed, who we know is soft, and Bobby, who, because he's overweight, must be soft, comply to the hillbillies' commands without any resistance. None. Sure, they have a gun, and I'd be scared shitless, but there's one gun. One of them could have tried to do something. There's not even an attempt. Again, I think of myself in that situation, and I'd be scared shitless, but at the same time, I doubt I wouldn't do anything either. I would try and talk my way through. I'd try and fight or something. And if the person I was with didn't try to defend me in any way, I'd be pissed, let me tell you. Especially if it was my friend. And of course Bobby's the one that gets raped. Ed is a title character, so no way we can see him get defiled in that way. The whole scene made me cringe, but just because it was so pathetic. I can't disagree that people have gone soft, but to the point where not one of them does anything? "You can't know how you'd react in a situation." No, you can't, but if something was threatening your life, trust me, you'd fight for it. You definitely wouldn't just gladly pull down your pants to get raped.

Done with spoilers. Anyway, that scene was a major letdown, and it just got worse from there. The whole film just made you hate everyone because really, in a life-or-death situation, I would hope you would try in some way to live. But the stupidities that these guys do... I can't believe it. All the film shows is white man's burden and how his privileges have made him soft. It's complete shit, seriously. I'm not saying I would be able to survive in the wilderness by myself, but what Man has accomplished shouldn't be something that should be pushed aside. We can live in any climate, and we can do it well. I don't agree with destroying the environment and I do believe ecologists should be asked for their opinion when development occurs, but again, this film seems to undermine everything Man has accomplished. And it especially points out the hell hole white man has built himself. But it does in such an obvious manner, such an uncreative and shitty manner, that this film makes me shake my head. Maybe you'll think differently, but I barely followed the final bits of the movie because it was so ridiculous.

Deliverance attempts at this "survival of the fittest" message, but it's just awful. Don't watch this film. It's not worth your time. The only thing that got me through this review was some awesome metal.