Fact Finder - Movies

Fact
The Banjo in Deliverance's 'Duel'
Category
Movies
Subcategory
Movie Quotes
Country
USA
Description
The quote 'He got a real purty mouth, ain't he?' is a chilling line from 'Deliverance.' However, the film's most famous scene is the 'Dueling Banjos.' This sequence features a city man on guitar and a local boy on a five-string banjo. The banjo is a percussive string instrument known for its bright, rapid-fire sound. While the scene is musically brilliant, it used the instrument to create a sense of cultural disconnect. Ironically, the boy in the film didn't actually play; a real banjo player was hidden behind him. This scene turned the banjo into a symbol of the American South in cinema, proving that a single musical performance can define the entire legacy and 'legend' of a film, even in a story known for its terrifying dialogue.