Deliverance Still Scars the South 40 Years Later
Stereotypes dreamt up by Deliverance still hurt today
“Squeal like a pig boy”
Source- CNN, a leading news provider
In 1972 a movie named Deliverance shook the bible belt by painting stereotypes that would last forever. The movie portrayed southern folk as sadistic, inbred hillbillies by exposing viewers to banjo battles and backwoods rape scenes. These stereotypes paved the way for the modern interpretation of a redneck.
Sadly, the residents of Rabun County (the setting of the film) took the film as a personal attack to their way of life. “We were portrayed as ignorant, backward, scary, deviant, redneck hillbillies," said a Rabun County resident, “That stuck with us through all these years and in fact that was probably furthest from the truth. These people up here are a very caring, lovely people,” (Philips). This demonstrates the lasting effect a 40 year old movie can have on society.
Personally, I don’t think Hollywood was intentionally targeting southerners, but I do understand the frustration “rednecks” feel about this movie. Overall, Deliverance proves how drastically a single 2 hour film can change society.
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