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John Boorman’s harrowing journey into the heart of darkness returns to Blu-ray in a solid 40th anniversary edition, though owners of previous high definition releases may be hard pressed to make a repeat trip.
Deliverance: 40th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Single-disc Blu-ray DigiBook
Year: 1972
Rating: R
Running Time: 1:49:56
MSRP: $34.99
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 2.40:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: French 1.0, German 1.0, Italian, 1.0, Castillian 1.0, Spanish 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Castellano, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Variable
Note: The following contains material from my review of the 2007 Deliverance HD-DVD.
The Feature: 5/5
Three Average Joes (John Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox) led by a blowhard outdoorsman (Burt Reynolds) get more than they bargained for when they take a canoe trip down Georgia's Cahulawassee River. The river is scheduled to be dammed, and the four men want to bask in its unfettered glory before the environment is irrevocably changed.
A trip into the natural world always involves risks, though it's not the untamed wilderness that will threaten them but what the wilderness has bred in the hearts of their own kind. When they encounter it, the four must find a part of themselves that modern civilization has all but eliminated. As they labor towards that mythic, primal state of their ancestors, their journey becomes one of myth as well, where one of them - and only one - must venture into the monster's lair and slay what seeks to destroy them.
Though “Deliverance” is more a dramatic thriller than horror film, it draws upon the themes and elements that are the foundation of our classic myths and fairy tales. It reveals that monsters do indeed dwell in the forest but that those monsters can look just like us. Likewise, it reminds us the hero’s journey to slay the beast is not one that comes easily, but carries a price that ultimately few can pay. Dressed as a kind of road movie with Southern Gothic details, the mythic qualities of “Deliverance” make the film an indelibly haunting tale even after 40 years.
Video Quality: 4/5
Accurately framed at 2.40:1 and presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec, the transfer appears identical to the one used for previous HD-DVD and Blu-ray releases. This in itself is not a bad thing, as it accurately represents Vilmos Zsigmond’s atmospheric cinematography, which features soft focus effects, desaturated color and sometimes muted black levels and contrast. The image isn’t always tack-sharp as a result, but looks sufficiently detailed, especially with beads of sweat and specular highlights on the water. Grain structure also appears intact, with no signs of excessive digital noise reduction measures.
Audio Quality: 3.5/5
For the new release, Warner Home Video upgrades the audio from previous high definition releases to lossless DTS-HD Master Audio. Though center channel dialogue dominates the 5.1 mix, it’s consistently clear, detailed and intelligible. Surround and bass activity are minimal, but there’s the occasional atmospheric cue and consistent depth throughout.
Special Features: 4/5
New bonus material includes a 30-minute roundtable discussion with the four lead actors, which most should find interesting, as well as printed material found in the attached collectible book. The rest of the extras – director commentary, video featurettes, and theatrical trailer – were available on previous releases.
Audio Commentary with Director John Boorman: Boorman tends to state the obvious by describing events or restating the narrative, but peppered in between these moments are good anecdotes and production information. It's a decent commentary comparable to what the documentary pieces provide, though some might prefer the latter for the additional archival photographs and actor interviews.
Deliverance: The Cast Remembers (29:52, HD): The four leads discuss their favorite moments from production, challenges working together and the affect the film had on their careers. The bond between the four is obvious and their camaraderie is one of the highlights of the piece.
35th Anniversary Retrospective: The documentary is divided into the four parts detailed below and includes interviews with the principal actors, director John Boorman, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and author James Dickey's son Christopher. Though not exhaustive, most should be satisfied with the background information and production anecdotes, though much of it also feels familiar after listening to the Boorman commentary.
The Dangerous World of Deliverance (10:13, SD): The vintage documentary promotes the film and is rather quaint in its introduction of the actors (and perhaps somewhat snide in regards to Reynolds): "This is Ronny Cox, he's an actor, as is John Voight and Ned Beatty. Burt Reynolds is an actor too."
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:52, SD):
Collectible Book: The printed material attached to the packaging includes cast and crew biographies, an essay about the film, and vintage production photographs and film posters.
Recap
The Film: 5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 3.5/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
Warner Home Video delivers a faithful video transfer and solid audio track for John Boorman’s harrowing journey into the wilderness. The 40th anniversary treatment adds a couple notable items, and brings back material from past high definition releases, but doesn’t necessarily make a compelling case for a repeat purchase for those who own the 2007 editions. The switch to a lossless audio track may provide the best incentive from a technical standpoint, but given the film’s vintage and nature of the audio mix, only the most ardent fans would make that choice. For those who don’t own any previous release, the 40th anniversary edition is the obvious one to purchase.
Deliverance: 40th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Single-disc Blu-ray DigiBook
Year: 1972
Rating: R
Running Time: 1:49:56
MSRP: $34.99
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 2.40:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: French 1.0, German 1.0, Italian, 1.0, Castillian 1.0, Spanish 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Castellano, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Variable
Note: The following contains material from my review of the 2007 Deliverance HD-DVD.
The Feature: 5/5
Three Average Joes (John Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox) led by a blowhard outdoorsman (Burt Reynolds) get more than they bargained for when they take a canoe trip down Georgia's Cahulawassee River. The river is scheduled to be dammed, and the four men want to bask in its unfettered glory before the environment is irrevocably changed.
A trip into the natural world always involves risks, though it's not the untamed wilderness that will threaten them but what the wilderness has bred in the hearts of their own kind. When they encounter it, the four must find a part of themselves that modern civilization has all but eliminated. As they labor towards that mythic, primal state of their ancestors, their journey becomes one of myth as well, where one of them - and only one - must venture into the monster's lair and slay what seeks to destroy them.
Though “Deliverance” is more a dramatic thriller than horror film, it draws upon the themes and elements that are the foundation of our classic myths and fairy tales. It reveals that monsters do indeed dwell in the forest but that those monsters can look just like us. Likewise, it reminds us the hero’s journey to slay the beast is not one that comes easily, but carries a price that ultimately few can pay. Dressed as a kind of road movie with Southern Gothic details, the mythic qualities of “Deliverance” make the film an indelibly haunting tale even after 40 years.
Video Quality: 4/5
Accurately framed at 2.40:1 and presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec, the transfer appears identical to the one used for previous HD-DVD and Blu-ray releases. This in itself is not a bad thing, as it accurately represents Vilmos Zsigmond’s atmospheric cinematography, which features soft focus effects, desaturated color and sometimes muted black levels and contrast. The image isn’t always tack-sharp as a result, but looks sufficiently detailed, especially with beads of sweat and specular highlights on the water. Grain structure also appears intact, with no signs of excessive digital noise reduction measures.
Audio Quality: 3.5/5
For the new release, Warner Home Video upgrades the audio from previous high definition releases to lossless DTS-HD Master Audio. Though center channel dialogue dominates the 5.1 mix, it’s consistently clear, detailed and intelligible. Surround and bass activity are minimal, but there’s the occasional atmospheric cue and consistent depth throughout.
Special Features: 4/5
New bonus material includes a 30-minute roundtable discussion with the four lead actors, which most should find interesting, as well as printed material found in the attached collectible book. The rest of the extras – director commentary, video featurettes, and theatrical trailer – were available on previous releases.
Audio Commentary with Director John Boorman: Boorman tends to state the obvious by describing events or restating the narrative, but peppered in between these moments are good anecdotes and production information. It's a decent commentary comparable to what the documentary pieces provide, though some might prefer the latter for the additional archival photographs and actor interviews.
Deliverance: The Cast Remembers (29:52, HD): The four leads discuss their favorite moments from production, challenges working together and the affect the film had on their careers. The bond between the four is obvious and their camaraderie is one of the highlights of the piece.
35th Anniversary Retrospective: The documentary is divided into the four parts detailed below and includes interviews with the principal actors, director John Boorman, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and author James Dickey's son Christopher. Though not exhaustive, most should be satisfied with the background information and production anecdotes, though much of it also feels familiar after listening to the Boorman commentary.
Deliverance: The Beginning (16:44, SD): Discussion of the novel's origins and its evolution into a feature film.
Deliverance: The Journey (13:04, SD): What it was like to shoot on location and how the Dueling Banjos scene came into being.
Deliverance: Betraying the River (14:37, SD): Discussion of the controversial assault scene and the scenes thereafter.
Deliverance: Delivered (10:37, SD): Industry and public response to the film and parting thoughts about its impact on the careers of those involved.
The Dangerous World of Deliverance (10:13, SD): The vintage documentary promotes the film and is rather quaint in its introduction of the actors (and perhaps somewhat snide in regards to Reynolds): "This is Ronny Cox, he's an actor, as is John Voight and Ned Beatty. Burt Reynolds is an actor too."
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:52, SD):
Collectible Book: The printed material attached to the packaging includes cast and crew biographies, an essay about the film, and vintage production photographs and film posters.
Recap
The Film: 5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 3.5/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
Warner Home Video delivers a faithful video transfer and solid audio track for John Boorman’s harrowing journey into the wilderness. The 40th anniversary treatment adds a couple notable items, and brings back material from past high definition releases, but doesn’t necessarily make a compelling case for a repeat purchase for those who own the 2007 editions. The switch to a lossless audio track may provide the best incentive from a technical standpoint, but given the film’s vintage and nature of the audio mix, only the most ardent fans would make that choice. For those who don’t own any previous release, the 40th anniversary edition is the obvious one to purchase.
