Review of Sadgati (1981) by Luke P — 05 Jun 2009

John Boorman is a director who can produce the sublime (Point Break) or the ridiculous (Zardoz, Exorcist 2). With Deliverance however, he produced the greatest film of his uneven career. It starts off quite serenely and melodic, with our 4 protagonists enjoying the peaceful beauty of the Cahulawassee River and the surrounding woodlands, some duelling banjos with a local child and generally being at one with nature before.

Even in these early scenes though we, as viewers, feel slightly uneasy. We can sense danger lurks, whether it be from the locals or from the unpredictability of Mother Nature herself, and we are proven right.

These 4 men (played brilliantly by Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronnie Cox), on the search for adventure, find their masculinity stripped from them. Death, injury and rape (the infamous "squeal for me piggy") await the men, in this tautly paced, genuinely creepy thriller.

It's beautifully shot by Boorman, shooting on location to give the film a sense of authenticity that just can't be faked, using real locals as actors. With 4 brilliant, career-best performances from the leads, Deliverance is brilliant filmmaking at it's best.