Deliverance (DVD, 1999)

Four friends in two flimsy canoes navigate a river that they have just seen as a mark on a map.Lewis(Burt Reynolds)appears to be the leader of the group at the outset,but all that soon changes.Not only do they have to deal with the raging current of the river but things take a more sinister turn when they encounter some extremely unfriendly hillbillies with obligatory missing teeth and dungarees.Bobby(Ned Beatty)bears the brunt of their inbred tendencies and is literally made to 'squeal like a hog boy'in what has to be the most disturbing scene in the film.Just as the billies are lining up Ed(Jon Voigt)for similar treatment up pops Lewis and kills one of them with his bow & arrow.The other redneck makes off and the boys bury his friend's body in the woods.They decide to call it a day and get back on to the river.They encounter the worst raging torrent yet,and one of the canoes gets smashed and Drew(Ronnie Cox) gets smashed up by the rocks and is later found dead.Lewis is disabled by a compound fracture of the leg.They soon realise that the billy who ran off with the shotgun is now tracking them,so Ed(who previously was too scared to kill a deer)climbs the highest rockface you've ever seen and finally encounters the stalker and kills him.The film is masterful in it's portrayal of each man's change of character under stress and the scenery and river shots are both fascinating and breathtaking.The best and most light hearted part of the film for me was the famous 'Duelling Banjo's'scene.The bit where the old petrol pump attendant does his own version of a hoe-down to it is both memorable and hilarious.The music is fantastic.They don't make them like this any more.Brilliant