7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Outdoor fanatic takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget, into the American back-country.
Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Ed RameyDrama | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
You don't beat this river.
Chances are that even if you have never seen
Deliverance, or even if you have never heard
of Deliverance, you are probably familiar with the famous "Dueling Banjos" scene, or at
least its music. It's
classic, to be sure, and brings a smile to my face every time I hear the music or watch this film.
Deliverance has a whole lot more to offer than some banjo picking, however.
This a grade-A classic film with a great cast who turn in four memorable and mesmerizing
performances. It's a movie that has held up remarkably well after 35 years, and I have no doubt it
will continue to be hailed as classic for years to come.
Their lives will never be the same.
Warner Home Video presents Deliverance in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, in 1080p, for this Blu-ray presentation. Director John Boorman discusses his filming technique for this film extensively in the commentary track, and what we get here is an accurate representation of his original vision for the film. Still, there are some distracting issues present. There is some shimmering at the beginning on top of a slightly blurred image, but the image cleans up considerably after the opening credits. Colors appear dull and flat throughout, but this is due to director intent and not a poor transfer. Many scenes have been desaturated and muted intentionally. There is some fine detail on faces and clothing I haven't noticed in previous home video versions of this film. Blacks are a little bright and washed out resulting in an overly bright image during night scenes. Some of the day for night sequences look especially bad, making Jon Voight look ghostly at times, but this all director's intent. I am convinced this is the best Deliverance is ever likely to look.
Warner Brothers has forgone a lossless audio track for Deliverance, providing only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. This is a rather flat, lifeless track that is very front heavy. To be fair, this mix is derived from the original monaural track, so not having a track here that blows you away sonically comes as no surprise. Dialogue sounds natural for the most part. The front sound stage is often permeated with the sound of the rapids and for a 35 year old film, it sounds fine. There is some nice ambience emanating from the surround speakers, however. In the quieter scenes the chirping of birds and the flow of the river in the background can be heard coming from behind the viewer. It's a very pleasing ambience. This track compliments the film nicely and once you get immersed in the film, you'll be too caught up in the story to notice the lack of a heavy, pulsating, modern surround track.
The primary features on this disc are a commentary track by director John Boorman and a four
piece documentary. In his commentary track, Boorman discusses the budget constraints placed
on
him (he
could
only make the film by getting two unknown actors to play the parts ultimately filled by Ronny
Cox and Ned Beatty). He also
discusses the now famous soundtrack and how it went from a big-budget orchestra down to a
banjo
player and guitar picker in a 2 hour session in a recording studio. He also reveals some secrets
behind the filming of the movie, including a revelation (to me, anyway) regarding the truth
behind
the banjo playing boy at the beginning of the film. Boorman also shares his thoughts on stunts
and
stuntmen, costuming, and CGI. This a refreshing commentary track. Boorman
never really falls into the trap of simply discussing the goings-on on screen. There is some dead
air,
but Boorman more than makes up for it. He's a natural with a wonderful grasp of language. Add
this to watching a wonderful film while listening to him, and it makes for one of the better
commentary tracks I have ever heard.
The first of the four documentaries is entitled
Deliverance: The Beginning (480p. 16:44). This is a look at the history of the novel, its
author James Dickey, the background and inspiration for the characters, and its adaptation to
film.
Deliverance: The Journey (480p, 13:04) is the second part of the documentary on the
disc. It features a look at
Billy Joe Redden (the banjo playing youngster from the beginning of the film) and the famous
"Dueling Banjos" scene, the choosing of the river and filming locations, and canoeing down the
river.
Deliverance: Betraying the River (480p, 14:37) is a look at the making of the rape scene
in the movie. This movie was filmed sequentially, and the filmmakers and actors explain the
tension leading up the filming of this crucial scene.
Deliverance: Delivered (480p, 10:37), the fourth part of the documentary, is a look at
the filming of the final moments of the
movie. This includes the wrapping up of the film and the controversies it engendered even before
hitting
theaters, themes and messages behind some of the final shots, and
the
origins of the idea for the unnerving final shot of the film.
The Dangerous World of Deliverance (480p, 10:13) is a short, campy look into the
making of the film on location in north Georgia and the dangers, trials, and tribulations involved
in the moviemaking process.
Rounding out the special features is a 480p trailer for
the movie.
Deliverance is one of the best films to come out of the 1970s, a decade that produced such classics as Star Wars, The Godfather (parts I & II), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Deer Hunter. It can stand toe-to-toe with the best of any decade, and is a film every movie lover needs to have in their collection. Warner Brothers has released a quality presentation, and this is undoubtedly the best this film is ever likely to look and sound. A great commentary by director John Boorman and a solid documentary make this a must-have disc. Deliverance delivers. Highly recommended.
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4K Restoration
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Tom à la ferme / English packaging / Version française
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