Beim Sterben ist jeder der Erste

Boorman masterfully ratchets up the tension and fear. Already during the dueling banjos at the beginning I had a strange feeling, without any rational justification, that something was wrong. That feeling grew over time and then suddenly it came, like a punch in the face. The rape scene is impressive and vile, and I've rarely wished death on someone like I did on those two loathsome hillbillies. It's the premature climax of the film, the rest doesn't have that much power. (11.05.2003)

The 1970s is the era that basically gave shape to modern horror. It’s when the constant reworking of classic monsters was replaced with original ideas that gave birth to new subgenres. Deliverance, for instance, defined hixploitation and became the most quoted horror film ever. (29.08.2007)

A well-written (especially the dialogues about crime and its consequences), clearly and imaginatively directed (the voyeuristic camera, the oppressive atmosphere of a "survival thriller"), and well-acted adventure for men. It lacks a faster pace in spots but overall is a strongly impressive affair, in which the absence of music (except for the guitar-banjo part) and one unbelievable rape are also noteworthy. An excellent film, after which a trip to the forest will never be the same again. (18.10.2006)

Pure Apokalypse oder wie grenznahe Situationen in der Wildnis uns nicht zu edlen und heldenhaften Wesen machen, sondern zu verängstigten und cleveren Wesen ohne Moral. Die ursprünglich romantische Pose, degeneriert bishin zu den abschließenden Aufnahmen Bildern der totalen Verwüstung - die Szenen aus einer untergehenden Stadt sind ein eisiger Kommentar über den moralischen Zerfall der Helden. Ein Film, der in jeder Hinsicht extrem physisch und gedanklich intellektuell dringlich ist - er zerbricht die traditionelle Zweiteilung von Gut und Böse und macht aus dem Überlebenskampf ein ethisches Problem. Es ist großartig, wie Boorman den "voreingenommenen" Widerwillen der Zuschauer gegen die rückständigen Bergleute nutzt und somit ja eigentlich in die Rolle eines Komplizen versetzt und wie er in der Figur von Burt Reynolds den Archetyp eines selbstbewussten Helden problematisiert. Diese Angelegenheit ist lediglich in wenigen technischen Aspekten gealtert, und ist ansonsten ein brillantes Beispiel filmemachericher Arbeit mit Inhalten und einer erschütternden Atmosphäre (das Banjo-Duell ist eine typische Lehrbuchsequenz). (18.03.2012)

Oh yeah, it’s great to be in redneck territory. They make you feel good and welcome, they show you some picturesque nooks and crannies, play something catchy on the banjo and pour you some moonshine to wet your whistle on. But aren’t they a bit strange? Ooh, don’t come here with your prejudices... But John Boorman seems to have a different opinion. Good for him, because this result of his xenophobic paranoia is the best “river raft ride" movie ever to be seen. Despite all that’s going for this movie, the climax occurs somewhere around the seventh minute. Which doesn’t mean at all that the hell we see in the second half isn’t darn powerful. It is and all the more so because it is so chillingly believable. (18.05.2008)

Don’t expect a thrilling pace or even shocking violence, Deliverance is not as disturbing as they say. However, it can captivate both through its economical direction and the survival adventure, or fight for survival, which is presented in the most credible and rawest way, without excessive detours. I appreciate some of Boorman's tricks. For example, that key rape scene is accurately depicted, when the members of the trip encounter two wanderers, their gestures and movements beautifully indicate what is to come, especially when one of the locals touches the face and chest of one of the protagonists. The director delivers similar tension several times, and it is truly worth it. The acting is relatively even and overall quite impressive. However, essentially, it is a very simple and rather ordinary matter. (03.03.2007)

Auf den ersten Blick handelt es sich um eine typische hundertprozentige Männersache aus den 70ern. Auf den zweiten, dritten sowie vierten Blick ist es eine sehr schlaue und psychologische Geschichte, in der es nicht nur darum geht, dass eine Figur einer anderen etwas antut und eine Rache folgt. Die Spannung wird immer intensiver. Allmählich werden die Charakterzüge der vier Abenteurer gezeigt. Die Zuschauer*innen müssen sich selbst fragen, wie sie sich an ihrer Stelle verhalten würden. Dank Johny Boorman und seiner Fahrt durch die Stromschnellen wird man direkt in den Mittelpunkt der Handlung versetzt; dank der ausgezeichneten Schauspieler Burt Reynolds und Jon Voight werden Sie alles miterleben und vielleicht auch überleben. (28.07.2020)

Sleep tight, it's nothing.... The most realistic survival in history, with which Boorman solidified a new narrative and thematic impulse in American cinema. Not as shocking, harsh and atmospheric as the contemporary Texas Massacre (which was also based on an unexpected confrontation between civilised people and a bunch of violent rednecks), but almost equally disturbing thanks to the unrelenting psychological pressure, which in some moments culminates into realms of genuine horror and disgust. A number of oft-quoted and famous passages (the opening banjo duel; the lengthy debate about what to do with the dead hillbilly) fully speak for the ageless quality of the direction, while weaknesses are found in the hammy dialogue and a bit in the narrative's build-up, whose climax comes shortly after the halfway point, and the last twenty minutes go completely beyond the established atmosphere and agonizing mental duress. I will sleep relatively peacefully, but if I were in the shoes of one of the survivors, I would probably think twice about falling asleep without a gun under my pillow... 80% (18.04.2011)

A very powerful film, intense, which not many people can make today. Maybe it was due to the time and available technology, but "Vysvobození" is simply incredibly intense and it's an experience that you don't forget. And there are actually only a few plot elements in it. Even after years, it is shown that good films simply withstand the test of time and sometimes the era is even in their favor. (24.06.2014)