DELIVER US FROM EVIL

US, 1973, 74 minutes, Colour.
George Kennedy, Jan- Michael Vincent, Jack Weston, Bradford Dillman.
Directed by Boris Sagal.

Deliver Us Froin Evil is a telemovie fable about human greed, about people destroying themselves for the sake of money. The screenplay is reminiscent of John Huston's classic, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. However, it was released a year after the success of Deliverance - and its picture of men camping in the mountains is reminiscent of that film.

With beautiful Rockies scenery, the film is quite good as an action feature. However, it focuses on the moral decisions made by the men as regards a parachuting hijacker with over half a million dollars, the shooting of the hijacker, the taking of the money and the plan to conceal it. This plot is reminiscent of Sam Raimi's 1998, A Simple Plan.

George Kennedy gives his usual strong performance. Jan- Michael Vincent has a much more subdued and thoughtful role. Jack Weston gives a variation on his usual performance. Bradford Dillman is good in support as is Jim Davis as the guide. Direction is by Boris Sagal, director of a number of telemovies and mini-series and the film feature The Omega Man.

1. Interesting action feature? Moral fable?

2. Reminiscent of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and the search for gold? Deliverance and the group with moral problems in the mountains? A blending of the themes? The title, the prayer, the recitation of the 'Our Father' at Dixie's funeral, temptation, testing and evil? The ending?

3. The beauty of the Rockies, ruggedness, the seasons, weather? Musical score and mood?

4. The focus on the campers, their trek through the forests? The tradition, enjoying being out, the bonds between the men, their city backgrounds, wanting to be rugged, image of rugged mountaineers?

5. The parachutist and their reaction? The radio information?

6. The effect of the information, tensions between them, decisions? The pursuit of the hijacker, bloodlust, Cowboy and his shooting, the mistaken identity and the effect on the group, guilt and lack of guilt, the ironic discovery of the truth and the change of attitudes?

7. Dividing the money, the continued radio information, the possibility of keeping the money, Dennis's plan, moral decisions?

8. Dixie and his toughness, expertise as guide, a man of integrity, the challenge to Cowboy, the discussion about the money, his talk with Plick and his explanation of his happy life and not needing money? The pathos of his death? Burial?

9. The fat man and his being greedy, concerned about himself, decisions, finding the pace difficult, his heart, illness, delirium, fear of people stealing his money, his dreams of Hawaii and luxury, chasing and dying?

10. The father and son: relationship, tradition of the trek, integrity, the father with his overdrawn bank account, the decision about taking the money, the son and his divorce, his decision? Seeing his father die in the river?

11. Nick as quiet, a challenger, the background of his divorce, his wife and money, decision about the shooting, about taking the money, carrying it? Independent of his father? Seeing his father die? His caring about people, Dixie and the burial, the fat man and his heart attack? His helping Cowboy and Dennis? The truth? Life being worth more than money?

12. Cowboy and George Kennedy's bluff style, bluster, greed, the shooting, lack of conscience, Dixie's death, relentless, the map, the lack of compass, walking on in the snow, burning the money to keep alive, frozen in the snow?

13. Dennis and business in the city, his radio and money games, the plan for Mexican concealment of the money, his frozen foot, surviving, helped by Nick, his joke about the stock exchange at the end?

14. As action feature? Plausible? The moral fable and its ending? Questions of law, morality, conscience?