Four middle-age city boys from Atlanta embark on a little trip into the heart of nature in the mountains of North Carolina. These men live comfortable lives in their comfortable homes. Even Lewis (Burt Reynolds) who is really adventurous and outgoing; in the EMS shopping store style. What unfolds is a series of rather unfortunate events and a final sense of deliverance – from obvious evil maybe, but not from a terrible sense of loss and defeat that will engulf our boys forever.

Deliverance is directed by John Boorman, who takes his own sweet time with the film. Perhaps it was ok in 1972 to zoom in to a horror and keep zoomed in without introducing another such element. Perhaps it was OK for people to brood when watching these films and think about the full impact of an incident. Let it build and build and let it never go away. Numbed by today’s often absurd violence, Deliverance may pale in comparison but not in treatment. It has its own way of unraveling and unravel it does. From the creepiness of the mountain men to the implicit haplessness of city folks and of course the casual nature of malice is all brought in front of us in what may be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Watch this film and stay with it.