Revisiting Deliverance: The Sunbelt South, the 1970s Masculinity Crisis, and the Emergence of the Redneck Nightmare Genre

Authors

Isabel Machado, University of Memphis

Files

Description

Is Deliverance a story about survivalism? An ecological cautionary tale? An allegory of the rise of the Sunbelt? A thinly veiled homoerotic fantasy? Since its release, the film has provoked passionate critiques, inspired different analyses, and has become a cult phenomenon. The imagery, stereotypes, and symbols produced by the film still inform popular perceptions of the US South, even by those who have never actually watched it. Readings of Deliverance have tended to privilege one particular interpretation, failing to fully grasp its relevance. The movie is a rich cultural text that provides historians with multiple ways to analyze the South, particularly concepts such as southern identity and masculinity.

Publication Date

6-19-2017

Relational Format

journal article

Comments

Includes embedded videos for:

• Deliverance (1972) Movie Trailer
• Deliverance Documentary

Recommended Citation

Machado, Isabel, "Revisiting Deliverance: The Sunbelt South, the 1970s Masculinity Crisis, and the Emergence of the Redneck Nightmare Genre" (2017). Study the South. 16.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/studythesouth/16

Accessibility Status

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