Deliverance is a 1972 movie by John Boorman that tells the story of four men looking for adventure in wild nature. Its themes of survival and danger of the unknown are universal and one scene in particular served as an inspiration for Tarantino.
Deliverance tells the story of four city dwellers taking a canoe trip along the Cahulawassee river in Georgia. The trip begins as a scenic, weekend adventure before turning into a violent struggle of survival. The men encounter locals who prey on them, leading to murder and questions of morality and justice. The brutality of the river then causes death and injury, forcing the men to adapt to primitive means to escape back to their familiar civilization.
Deliverance is known largely due to its most famous scene, which is referenced in Pulp Fiction. In some respects, both movies are notorious in shocking viewers with scenes of sexual assault. However, to stereotype both Deliverance and Pulp Fiction ignores the brilliance and star power of each work.
Reynolds is compelling as Lewis, a weekend thrill seeker who arranges the canoe trip. He emerges as the group’s leader and in true Reynolds fashion serves as the movie’s most masculine and vibrant character. He’s definitely the alpha of the group, yet reveals himself to be in awe of the nature he’s about to face. When asked by Jon Voight’s Ed why we wants to “fuck with the river”, Lewis replies: “Because it’s there.”
Yet a few moments later, Lewis clarifies: “you don’t beat this river.” He’s a mix of Hemingway adventurist and bravado, yet remains aloof enough to make you question his legitimacy as a leader. It’s possible that Lewis has other motivations for the trip, which is made evident by his distrust of the “machine” of society. There is something Lewis lacks in his life – either by choice or an inability to obtain a job, family and material goods.
Jon Voight’s Ed is the natural contrast to Lewis. He has the job and family Lewis seems to reject. He’s also the follower – along for the ride on Lewis’ adventures. Ed can’t adopt Lewis’ sense of nihilism nor can he emulate his behavior. Ed furiously shakes in terror as he has a deer in his sights but can’t steady himself to shoot it with a bow. It’s a telling scene that affirms Ed’s inferiority in the pack.
The other characters in the group are more limited in their scope but are equally interesting. Ned Beatty’s Bobby is the most misplaced of the four – he’s physically shorter and chubbier than the rest and asserts his superiority mainly through his mocking of the locals he encounters. He’s a cynical insurance salesman who is unsure what he’s gotten himself into at the start of the trip. Ronny Cox’s Drew is the most receptive of the group – he clearly views the trip as a spiritual recharge, strumming his guitar and pondering how anyone could kill a deer. His scene playing his guitar off a local boy’s banjo shows his idealistic yearning for togetherness, which is later coldly rejected.
The movie’s most famous scene – and its clearest link to Tarantino – serves as the fulcrum of the plot. Bobby and Ed’s canoe gets off path and ends up alongside a mountain clearing. Here they encounter two mountain men, who are instantly suspicious of outsiders. They prey on Bobby and Ed – tying Ed to a tree and sexually assaulting Bobby. They are saved by Lewis, who shoots a bow through one of the men – instantly killing him. It’s obvious to say Tarantino copied this scene in Pulp Fiction when Butch and Marcellus land in Maynard’s pawn store dungeon.
However, the scene is so much more than the actual act. Bobby and Ed feel they can reason with the mountain men. Bobby in particular is still holding to the idea that his superior intellect is no match for the childish locals. He is demeaned and made to strip – treated like a pig before being raped. Ed is forced to watch, knowing that he will be next.
The scene is naturally brutal and ugly to watch. However what makes the event eerie is the disconnect between all characters involved. There’s an implied mistrust and dehumanizing of each other running throughout. Bobby and Ed don’t view the mountain men as human, while they are seen as animals themselves. Similar to Pulp Fiction, there is also a theme of power involved. The mountain men are conquering the “city boys” much in the way Zed is asserting his view of racial superiority over Marcellus Wallace.
The more revealing part of the rape scene occurs after Lewis saves Bobby and Ed. As the mountain man is dying, Lewis and Ed are still wary to approach him – there’s trepidation but an odd wonder found in their eyes. Jon Voight is amazing in the scene. He’s tracking the rapist and Lewis’ lead for clues how to act – almost similar to a son watching a father hunt. There’s danger in not knowing whether the dead man’s going to spring back to life like a wild boar or crumple to the ground. Ed is processing, searching to establish meaning while you can feel Lewis has fully entered the realm of “the game” of the wild he is so eager to join.
The movie then shifts towards themes of justice and morality, while we can see the characters begin to take on different forms. The question of “what do we do with it?” referring to the dead mountain man frames the remainder of the movie. Only Drew argues that they should respect the law and report what happened. He is the only character who both shows a sense of respect for the dead and remains true to his original identity. He is overruled by a democratic vote initiated by Lewis, who ironically now relies on a “system” to advance his goals. Bobby and Ed have been wholly changed by the experience and the man is hastily buried.
Drew’s eventual end is foreshadowed here as the shock of the event leads to him falling into the wild rapids. He is later given a last rites by Ed, which is a too brief summary devoted to someone who is likely more emotionally complex than anyone on the trip could possibly have known. Drew’s death is likely a larger metaphor for the strength it takes to endure nature. He is probably the least equipped to survive this new reality. Yet, more irony follows when the alpha male Lewis suffers a gruesome leg injury, rendering him helpless. He now cedes his authority to Ed in perhaps the best line of the entire movie.
Ed plays Lewis’ “game” for the remainder of the movie. He channels a heroic inner being by scaling a cliff before shooting who he thinks is the surviving mountain man from earlier. He navigates Bobby and Lewis back to safety before ensuring that everyone tells the authorities the same story. It’s a pivotal but expected scene. Lewis is drifting out of consciousness, crying in pain as he accepts Ed’s authority – he’s a pitiful shell of the bold adventurer we were previously led to believe.
The acting is tremendous throughout Deliverance, particularly in Jon Voight’s portrayal of Ed’s transformation from follower to savior. Even more impressive, Voight delivers his performance against the wattage of Reynolds’ star power. This is both reality and an amazing wrinkle to the storytelling. Despite the brilliance of Voight’s acting, he can never outshine Reynolds – similar to how Lewis has set in motion his “game”, only for Ed to play it.
This can be taken to another level in that the final scene of Deliverance sees Ed having a nightmare stemming from the trip. It’s likely he’ll suffer emotional trauma while Lewis gets to tell a great story. There’s almost an implied knowing during Lewis’ final scene. Voight does the heavy lifting, while Reynolds goes out with his trademark wink.
The BEST – The “Other” Rape Scenes
I can’t imagine grouping those words together ever again.
Lewis opens the movie by referring to the “rape” that is occurring towards nature. He wants to experience the Cahulawassee River before “it turns into a lake”, due to mountain top removal coal mining. Deliverance opens with an extended shot of dynamite being blown high in the mountains and ends with Ed watching caskets being moved in preparation for mining. In a movie where humans struggle against nature, these scenes show the opposite, where the “machines” and “systems” are winning.
The BEST Part 2 – The Banjo Boy
In one short scene, a boy picking a banjo gives a group of strangers a glimpse into a rich and often misunderstood culture, then coldly shuts the door. Outsiders can try all they want but don’t belong here.
The BEST Part 3 – Lewis the Philosopher
In the madness that follows killing a man, Lewis digs deep for a rumination about nature (and the odds of finding a body within it): “It’s anywhere, everywhere, nowhere.”
The WORST – When a Movie is Known for One Scene
It’s hard to put myself into the mind of a 1972 moviegoer, but I’m sure the buzz that the rape scene created was off the charts. Similar to Pulp Fiction, there’s a shock factor that surely sold tickets. “He did what??”
The WORST – Part 2 – When a Culture is Known for One Scene
Appalachian and Mountain culture in general can’t be happy when it’s best known for “squeal like a pig” and “he’s got a pretty mouth.”
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5
The Tarantino connection is obvious but Deliverance is an excellent 1970’s movie and tells a unique story of survival. The dynamics between Reynolds and Voight are intriguing and clearly the movie has a lot to say about our society.
