Based on the James Dickey novel of the same name, Deliverance follows a group of men who take an ill-fated canoeing trip into the Georgia backcountry. Tension with the locals as well as troubles navigating the wilderness around them sets the tone for the acclaimed film, whose famous banjo scene is still referenced widely in pop culture today. Some critics took issue with its portrayal of rural Appalachians as savages, noting that the film “…had a profound impact on the way the ‘real South’ has circulated in national and international consciousness.” [1] Upon release, it was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards
Deliverance was filmed along the Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers in Northeast Georgia, stand-ins for the fictional Cahulawassee River. However, the setting of Dickey’s novel is based mostly on the Coosawattee River, which was dammed in the 1970s to protect neighboring towns.[2] According to Claude Terry, a stuntman and friend of Dickey, Deliverance is based on a dangerous river experience that Dickey and friends had on the river some years prior.
Deliverance successfully launched the career of Burt Reynolds, as well as continuing the burgeoning success of Jon Voight. Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty also cite the film as their way of breaking into screen acting from the stage. [3] Deliverance had a lasting effect on the entertainment industry as paradoxically beautiful and violent film. In 2008, the Library of Congress inducted it into the United States National Film Registry, an honor bestowed upon films for being “culturally, aesthetically, or historically significant.” [4]
[4] “Cinematic Classics, Legendary Stars, Comedic Legends and Novice Filmmakers Showcase the 2008 Film Registry.” The Library of Congress, 30 Dec. 2008, www.loc.gov/item/prn-08-237/2008-entries-to-national-film-registry-announced/2008-12-30/. Accessed 2 Sept. 2020
[1] Murphy, Benjamin J. “Exceptional Infidelity: James Dickey’s Deliverance, Film Adaptation, and the Postsouthern.” The Mississippi Quarterly, vol. 69, no. 2, 2016, p. 205+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link-gale-com.iris.etsu.edu:3443/apps/doc/A547988435/AONE?u=tel_a_etsul&sid=AONE&xid=8a0154f1. Accessed 31 Aug. 2020.
[2] Roper, Daniel M. “The Story of the Coosawattee River Gorge”. North Georgia Journal (Summer 1995).
[3] Tribbey, Chris. “‘Deliverance’ cast reflects on making of the landmark film.” Home Media Magazine, vol. 34, no. 27, 9 July 2012, p. 12. Gale General OneFile, https://link-gale-com.iris.etsu.edu:3443/apps/doc/A302116774/ITOF?u=tel_a_etsul&sid=ITOF&xid=cd142432. Accessed 2 Sept. 2020.
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