When will Deliverance be shown in Düsseldorf?

The screening will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 8:00 PM in the Film Workshop Düsseldorf.

How long is the film?

Deliverance from 1972 has a runtime of 109 minutes.

What is Deliverance about?

Four men undertake a canoe trip through a landscape that will soon be replaced by a reservoir. The journey turns into a dangerous confrontation with nature, violence, and their own limits.

Who directed Deliverance?

It was directed by John Boorman, who was also involved as a producer. The screenplay was written by the novelist James Dickey.

What age is the film suitable for?

The film is rated 16 and older in Germany.

Where does the screening take place?

The venue is the Film Workshop in Düsseldorf.

Deliverance in Düsseldorf: A River That Promises Freedom and Unleashes Terror

Name: John Boorman: Deliverance
Start: 2026-12-01T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-12-01T21:49:00+01:00
Location: Filmwerkstatt

John Boorman's Deliverance: A River Becomes an Abyss

Four men from the American metropolis set out on a final canoe trip. The river they aim to conquer is soon to be replaced by a reservoir. From this excursion into a seemingly untouched landscape, John Boorman's Deliverance develops into a harrowing journey to the limits of civilization, masculinity, and human control.

Between Nature's Idyl and Existential Threat

The water sparkles, the forests seem vast and open, but tension grows beneath the surface. Boorman transforms the river landscape into a psychological space: rapids, rocks, and dense underbrush become tests in which the characters must confront their own vulnerability. The cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond lends an overwhelming immediacy to the nature images.

A Classic of New Hollywood Cinema

This thriller, made in 1972, is based on the novel River Run by James Dickey, who also wrote the screenplay and appears as the sheriff in the film. With Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, Boorman assembles an ensemble whose acting craft carries the shift from confident leisure adventure to traumatic survival test with great precision.

Dramaturgy of Escalation

The staging relies on an unrelenting contrast. The apparent freedom of the wilderness is followed by violence, guilt, and fear. The famous banjo duel initially sounds like a playful moment, but throughout the film, it takes on the character of a forewarning. Boorman combines adventure film, social allegory, and psychological thriller into a disturbing cinematic experience.

A Film That Lingers

Deliverance was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing. Critics particularly praised the visual power, the realistic-looking river shots, and the uncompromising dramaturgy. At the same time, the film remains deliberately unsettling: It confronts its audience with violence, prejudice, and the fragile self-image of urban men in a landscape foreign to them.

Conclusion: Cinema as Rapids

The screening at the film workshop promises an intense encounter with a classic of American cinema. Those who engage with John Boorman's precise direction, the haunting acoustics of the river, and the dark moral depths of the story will experience a film whose images continue to resonate long after the credits roll.