My vote is for Deliverance by a mile, though they are both excellent films with similar tones and stories. The strange feeling you get at the end of this film and at the beginning of Deliverance are, tone-wise, exactly the same in my opinion.
I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven.
Deliverance is hands down the better movie b/c it broached the sensitive subject of homosexual rape to "normal" guys in a way they'd have never suspected. I like SC, but Del actually scares the crap out of me to watch so I don't. THAT makes it a better movie.
Deliverance is also iconic to society b/c:
*The "You/He's sure got a purty mouth" quote is now totally classic! Most people have no idea where it comes from but they recognize the phrase spoken in that scary backwoods accent. And it'll still make 'em laugh (or want to punch you in the face) cuz it gives them the willies! [Note: this is a great quote to tease homophobes with! :P]
*The classic "Dueling Banjos" scene is an iconic riff of anything hillbilly now too. [Watch it here if you don't remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8]. Mimic "da-da-di-da-de-da-de-do-du" while fingering an "air banjo" & people will infer mountain redneck! Actually I wish to heck I could play like that inbred kid actually...
I grew up on some tough streets of Chicago, but spent a summer selling books door-to-door in the middle of Pennsylvania. I've done a lot of crazy things in my life, but one of the scariest ever was approach was this backwoods cabin in the middle of nowhere after my car broke down to ask for help. This was in the era before cell phones mind you. (if any of you can even remember what that was like!). I'd just watched Deliverance w/some friends a couple days ago see...
The last 15 minutes of Southern Comfort is really pulse-pounding, first rate filmmaking. It almost feels as if Stanley Kubrick directed it, when he was at the top of his game. Is there any single part of Deliverance that beats it? Overall Deliverance has more depth to the characters and is the better film IMO.
shareDefinitely Deliverence first then SC second but not Wrong Turn,LOL.
shareTough call; I really enjoyed both, and rated both a 7, but Southern Comfort does have better actors... I'll go with this one.
Love United. Hate Glazers.
Better actors Keith Caradine better than Burt Reynolds Hmmm close ??
Powers Boothe a better actor than John Voight or Ned Beatty, I don't think so.
Perhaps not better actors overall, but if you compare the respective movies... ?
I loved Powers Booth in this, and Fred Ward, too. I can't remember being as impressed by the portrayals in Deliverance, 'cept maybe Burt... (a rare serious movie, considering he went on to do 'Smokey and the Bandit' type stuff, and/or slightly campy action that was critically panned. )
Love United. Hate Glazers.
***spoilers***
SC killed off its best actor in the first five minutes. (I figured out Peter Coyote wasn't going to last long when I saw his name buried low in the opening credits.)
Deliverance had:
Burt Reynolds at the top of his game, in a role perfect for him
Jon Voight in a very strong role
Ned Beatty doing a great job in a role I cannot imagine anyone else doing
Ronny Cox doing a fine job, too.
There are good actors in Southern Comfort, but the acting in Deliverance is much stronger.
Overall, I think Deliverance is the better movie. The best terror is sudden, and Deliverance does that extremely well. In contrast, I had little sympathy for the Guardsmen of Southern Comfort. They cut nets, steal canoes, and open fire on the locals before the Cajuns strike back. And a good deal of their difficulties were due to the fact that they were wandering around the bayou without a map or any sense of direction.
I agree with others that the last 15 minutes had a better pace of action. I kept wondering whether the film would turn into a Cajun version of The Wicker Man.
Deliverance by far. Much more gritty and real.
The last 15 min of this movie really WAS fantastic, though.
Unfortunately the rest of the movie was fantastic in another way hehe.
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