Some films seep into the popular vernacular. We quote them without really knowing what we're quoting. I don't know how many times I've said, "He sure got a purr-dy mouth," but I didn't know where it was from, until now.
The film is simpler than I thought it would be, but that doesn't diminish its power. This psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to pop out of the woods next. Four city boys head out onto a river in the Appalachian Mountains that will soon be transformed into a lake once a new dam is completed. Their trip starts out fun, but quickly turns into terror when they get brutally attack by sadistic rednecks. The film equally deals with the ideas of man vs. nature and city folk vs. county folk.
Lewis (Burt Reynolds, BOOGIE NIGHTS) is the adventurer of the group -- the city dweller who longs to commune with nature. Ed (Jon Voight, MIDNIGHT COWBOY) is his best friend -- a mild mannered family man who will be tested to the extreme during the trip. Bobby (Ned Beatty, NETWORK) is a tubby salesman who quickly folds under pressure. Drew (Ronny Cox, TOTAL RECALL) is a John Denver-type who is the most threatened by the moral choice the men encounter.
Three things really struck me about the film. Firstly, it contains a couple unforgettable scenes -- ones people know about who haven't even seen the film. I knew about them, but they must be seen to be totally appreciated. The dueling banjos sequence at the beginning is great. The savage attack by the rednecks will haunt my mind. That scene must have influenced Quentin Tarantino. Finally Ed's confrontation with the man on the rocks is constructed perfectly to maximize the tension.
The second thing that really impressed me was the ambiguity of what really happened on the river after the attack. I don't think the film really answers definitively what occurred. I feel this uncertainty adds to the overall power and message of the film.
Another thing that sticks in one's mind is the cinematography. Vilmos Zsigmond paints the scenes with a gritty, dirty feel. Paced perfectly by Tom Priestley's Oscar nominated editing, the action sequences are gripping. Director John Boorman handles the material with subtly and skill. Voight and Reynolds give some of the best performances of their careers. Reynolds becomes his character, giving easily the most honest performance of the early part of his career. This smart adventure is a brutal journey into the darkness of men's hearts that I recommend strongly.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
