Adapted from James Dickeys popular novel, John Boormans 1972 movie recounts the grueling psychological and physical journey taken by four city slickers down a river in the backwoods of Georgia. At the behest of Iron John-esque Lewis (Burt Reynolds), the less adventuresome Ed (Jon Voight), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) agree to canoe down an uncharted section of the river before a dam project ruins the region. After warnings from the grimy, impoverished locals, and Drews tuneful yet ominous Dueling Banjos encounter with a mute inbred boy, the four men embark on their trip, exulting in the beauty of nature and the initial thrill of the rapids. The next day, however, things begin to take a turn for the worse when Bobby and Ed decide to rest on shore after becoming separated from Lewis and Drew. Two rifle-wielding mountain men (Billy McKinney and Herbert Cowboy Coward) emerge from the woods, tying up Ed while one of them rapes Bobby and makes him squeal like a pig. Lewis and Drew rescue them, but the attack irrevocably changes the tenor of the journey. As the river gets rougher and rougher, the men come to nightmarish grips with what it means to survive outside the safety net of civilization. Shooting on location on the Chattoga River in Georgia, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond captured the appeal and the peril of the rivers pristine isolation, enhancing both the adventures visceral thrills and Dickeys philosophical inquiry into mans true nature. Like such other early 70s Hollywood films as Sam Peckinpahs Straw Dogs (1971), Deliverance ponders violent instincts and definitions of manhood, ideas made all the more pressing by the periods escalating violence and assault on traditional gender roles. Regardless of these headier concerns, the critically praised realism of the action scenes on the river, with the actors performing a lot of the stunts, helped make the film a hit. Deliverance was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, although Dickeys screenplay of his novel was passed over, as was Reynolds star-making turn. With its chilling sense of infinite menace, Deliverance spoke to contemporary anxieties over what anyone could do, given the right (or wrong) circumstances. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide