The movie “Deliverance” had a lot of scenes that really caught people off guard, but before the real thrilling drama begins, there was this scene which helped highlight a bit of “hillbilly” culture.
The scene is often referred to as “Dueling Banjos.” Since then, you can quite often seen different country groups playing their own rendition which gives them a chance to show off their chops on the instrument of their choice.
It’s a pretty interesting scene which works to tell a very brief story that foreshadows and overarching theme throughout the film. One of the guys on the trip takes a minute to tune his guitar. As he tunes his guitar, he notices a local boy mimicking him.
The audience joins in and we watch it unfurl and while the local boy seems mute, if not a bit “inbred” (sorry but that’s the narrative they create in the film and not a personal interpretation), but as they play along together, it’s almost like they open up for each other.
It’s a bit of a trick. While it foreshadows the idea that they’re now fully immersed in a new world they can’t completely understand, it betrays them a bit in that they can’t always trust these faces whether or not they come to be familiar.
However, these scene, ignoring the rest of the film, is a great and feel-good scene that always brings a smile.
Great scene from a movie from “back in the day!”