Deliverance (1972)

Beyond its shocking scenes, the film is a suspenseful thriller charting civilisation's erosion by nature and a metaphor for masculinity under threat.

The film is a boy's own adventure gone bad and a nightmarish vision of a land destroyed by civilisation. It resonates with chilling power thanks to its themes, performances and John Boorman's superb direction.

Deliverance is a haunting masterpiece that taps into primal fears of the wilderness and violation, transforming its city-slicker protagonists through raw instinct and moral reckoning amid the river's dangers. The review singles out the masterful wide shots capturing the alien landscape, the charged close-ups, and the film's exploration of uncivilized impulses beneath civilized facades.

The film is about finding where ideas give way to instinct, as four Atlanta men confront a primal wilderness that exposes their vulnerabilities and forces adaptation or devolution. Boorman and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond observe the men's struggle against nature and hostile locals with patient, visceral detail, underscored by iconic sequences like the banjo duet.

Farber calls it the most stunning piece of moviemaking of the year, praising Boorman's kinesthetic power, visual subtlety, and the film's uncompromising adventure quality along with strong performances, while noting some schematic plotting.

The film moves from boys' own adventure with graphic violence to a haunting vision of a land already killed by civilisation, peopled by alien creatures.

The critic praises the film as a cracking good story with strong narrative drive that also functions as a finely structured allegory about America. They single out the river-rafting sequences and psychological thriller elements for praise while noting some screenplay weaknesses in deepening the parable.

Gilliatt describes it as strongly made with exquisite photography but finds the story a simple, banal ragbag of maleness myths and long-winded dialogue, calling it a fine yarn if not taken too metaphysically.

Ebert finds the film effective as simple adventure with strong performances and unfaked rapids footage, but criticizes it for failing to make any significant statement about its action and for exploiting violence in a fantasy rather than realistic way.

The review sees it as a stark survival showdown but argues it exploits rather than explores violent drama through nihilistic philosophizing; it criticizes the script, direction, and some performances while noting the premise's potential.

The critic calls the film brilliant as entertainment and as a critique of the white middle-class American male in the wake of Vietnam. It is singled out as the most shocking and disturbing mainstream American horror film of the 1970s for its refusal to provide easy answers to the moral questions it raises.

The critic describes Deliverance as a seminal 1970s film and a masterpiece of the tensions of masculinity, with its influence most evident on the horror genre. It praises the raw experience of the story and period authenticity but notes it is not a transcendent piece of art.