December 10, 2017

A perfect pairing of sound & vision. The banjo duel in Deliverance.

Four men decide to go on a canoeing trip down a Georgian river before the valley is flooded for a dam & reservoir. They come from the city and carry all the superior smugness that comes with city living. They stop to get petrol at a rickety petrol station and look down on the locals serving them. Drew steps away to stretch his legs and pick at his Banjo. His chord is copied by a boy sitting above them on a porch. What happens next has gone down in cinematic history. A piece of music that you'll know even if you've never heard of this film. A tune that has wormed it's way into your consciousness. The kind of thing hummed when you go for a drive and find yourself in the middle of nowhere.



It's a great foreshadowing of what's to come. The "hillbillies" they look down on and laugh at are as good and skillful as the city boys. They can give as good as they get. But the boy's shun at the end gives it a sinister edge. Are these blokes even welcome here? Do the locals who are about to lose their homes see them as enemies?

It's a stunning scene.

Previous parts

The Omen
Copland
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Once More With Feeling
The Mission
Before Sunset
Carlito's Way
A Knight's Tale
Platoon
Before Sunrise
Rushmore
An American Werewolf In London
Dazed And Confused
Boogie Nights
Raging Bull
Almost Famous
Once Upon A Time In The West
Goodfellas

Last Of The Mohicans

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