Release Date: 9/18/07

The Film

Deliverance is the film that single-handedly made this city slicker officially afraid to venture too far into the woods. I like my creature comforts like streetlights, police stations, and well, general peace of mind. After seeing Deliverance, I never looked at the “great outdoors” the same way again. Now released on DVD in the Deluxe Edition, audiences can now relive the horrifying backwoods weekend trip that four men encountered, giving new meaning to phrases such as, “Your lips sure look puurdy” and “Squeal like a pig!”

Following four weekend warriors played by Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, the film shows what happens when people overstep their boundaries and stick their noses in places they don’t belong. Starting off as a relaxing weekend getaway, the four men quickly find out what they’re truly made of after the inhabitants of the wilderness get a hold of them. However, once you look past the gruesome and unflinching portrait of a place time forgot, the film also tells the tale of four men and their respective moral codes and how they differ so greatly from those who wish to do them harm.

Completely enthralling, the thrilling film keeps you in total suspense as the group travels deeper into the woods in hopes of survival. More frightening is the film’s ability to allow the viewer to get right inside the psyches of each character as they encounter each harrowing situation. Shot on a shoestring budget, they simply don’t make movies like this anymore.

The DVD

The main menu comes with a ho-hum static background with music while submenus include silent stills.

The video is offered in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. The level of detail and colors really hop out compared to the original release. They look far more natural than the original DVD release. I can honestly say after viewing this release that there were definitely small items of detail that I just wasn’t able to pick up on with the original release.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Digital 2.0. Once again, the audio has been completely restored and provides us with a great aural experience. This is a great dynamic track that will keep you fully immersed throughout the film. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.

The Extras

The Audio Commentary is provided by director John Boorman.

The 35th-Anniversary Retrospective is broken down into 4 parts: “The Beginning” (16:43), “The Journey” (14:03), “Betraying the River” (14:36) and “Delivered” (10:36). In total, the very substantial piece runs a little under an hour and provides us with interviews with the cast and crew, a look at the original novel, and a behind the scenes look at the movie’s abduction sequence.

The Vintage Featurette, The Dangerous World of Deliverance, runs about 10-minutes and is the same piece originally included on the original release on DVD. The feature includes interviews with the cast and crew.

The bonus options round out with the Theatrical Trailer.

Final Thoughts

For those unfamiliar with the film or for those who own the original DVD release, Deliverance – Deluxe Edition is an easy buy. This is a clear upgrade over the original, the Anniversary Retrospective is a welcome addition, and the film is a classic.

- Morris Tang