Deliverance (1972) Ending Explained
tl;dr
The ending of Deliverance (1972) is a haunting and ambiguous conclusion to a survival thriller that leaves viewers questioning the morality, trauma, and consequences faced by the protagonists. After a brutal backcountry canoe trip turns into a nightmare of rape, murder, and cover-ups, the surviving men return to civilization forever scarred. The final scene shows one of them, Ed, waking from a nightmare, symbolizing the inescapable psychological toll of their actions. The film's conclusion doesn't provide clear resolutions, instead emphasizing the lingering horror and guilt that will follow the characters for the rest of their lives.
The Ending Explained
The climax of Deliverance occurs after the four friends - Ed, Lewis, Bobby, and Drew-endure unspeakable violence in the Georgia wilderness. Two of them are sexually assaulted by mountain men, and Lewis kills one attacker while Ed kills another. Drew mysteriously dies (possibly murdered by the surviving mountain man), and the group decides to hide the bodies to avoid legal repercussions. They stage Drew's death as an accident and return to town, where authorities seem suspicious but lack evidence. The final scene shows Ed waking up in his bed at home, screaming from a nightmare in which a hand emerges from the river-a metaphor for the buried trauma resurfacing.
This ending is deliberately unsettling, refusing to provide closure. The men have escaped the physical danger of the wilderness, but their psychological wounds are permanent. The river, which initially symbolized adventure and freedom, becomes a grave for their secrets and a source of endless guilt. The nightmare sequence suggests that no matter how far they run, the horror of what they did (and what was done to them) will haunt them forever. The film's title, Deliverance, is ironic-they are not saved but condemned to live with their actions.
Unresolved Questions
What really happened to Drew?
- He was shot by the unseen mountain man as revenge.
- He fell accidentally due to panic or exhaustion.
- Lewis or Ed might have killed him to ensure silence.
Do the authorities suspect foul play?
- The sheriff likely knows more than he lets on but can't prove anything.
- The men's story is just plausible enough to avoid scrutiny.
- The remoteness of the crime scene makes investigation nearly impossible.
Will the men ever confess?
- Unlikely-their shared guilt binds them to secrecy.
- Bobby, the weakest link, might crack under pressure.
- Lewis, the most pragmatic, would take the secret to his grave.
What does the hand in Ed's dream symbolize?
- The dead rising to demand justice.
- Ed's subconscious guilt manifesting.
- The inescapable nature of trauma.
Personal Opinion
Deliverance is a masterpiece of psychological horror disguised as a survival thriller. The ending is brilliantly bleak, refusing to offer redemption or catharsis. The nightmare sequence is one of cinema's most chilling final moments because it confirms that no one "gets away" with anything-their souls are forever stained. The film's exploration of masculinity, violence, and guilt remains relevant, and the ambiguous ending ensures it lingers in the viewer's mind long after the credits roll. While not a traditionally satisfying conclusion, it's thematically perfect for a story about the cost of survival.
The performances, particularly Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds, sell the raw terror and moral decay of their characters. The infamous “squeal like a pig” scene is just the beginning of the horror-the real terror is in the quiet moments afterward, where the men realize they've lost their humanity in the process of saving their lives. Deliverance doesn't just ask, “What would you do to survive?” but “Could you live with yourself afterward?” The answer, as the ending shows, is a resounding no.
Final Thoughts
Few films leave such a lasting impression as Deliverance, and its ending is a big reason why. By denying the audience a clean resolution, it forces them to sit with the same unease as the characters. The river, the bodies, and the screams don't stay buried-they resurface in dreams, in silence, in every moment of peace. The film's genius lies in making the viewer complicit: we, too, want the men to get away with it, only to realize, like them, that some crimes have no statute of limitations on the conscience.