They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' (adapted from a novel & directed by Sydney Pollack) depicts a harrowing & exhausting 6-day dance marathon; stressing the fantasies, illusions, disillusions, & madness of people of the Depression era in 1930's Chicago. The plot begins with Robert Syverton (newcomer Michael Sarrazin) standing trial for a gruesome murder whose details are quite vague. When he is asked why he has committed murder, he plainly responds, "They shoot horses, don't they?" The narrative then switches to Chicago's Aragon Ballroom, where said dance marathon {a rather strange phenomenon of the time} is about to commence.
During the process of this torturous dance, we witness injury, some deaths, self-destruction, depression, & even brutal animalistic behavior on the dance floor. Why are they doing this!? The motivation seems to be the same for all: 3 meals a day, some notoriety, a chance of winning a prize of $1,500 at a time when America was suffering from starvation, severe unemployment, fatigue, disillusionment, high crime, & an abundance of suicides. Most people had been brought up to believe that if you worked hard & did a good job, then good fortune would come to you. Yet during the Depression, failure & defeat crept deep into the human soul.
Our main protagonist is Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a bitter, disagreeable loner/misfit who wants to be an actress, and enjoys lashing out at all those around her. Why? Because she has all but run out of the will to keep on living. Other contestants include: Alice (Susannah York), a Jean Harlow-type who desperately aspires to be a movie star; Ruby (Bonnie Bedelia), a pregnant farm girl; her husband James (Bruce Dern); Sailor (Red Buttons), an aged marathoner whose weak heart can't match his high hopes; & overseeing the contest is Rocky (Gig Young), the sleazy, unshaven emcee whose job is to keep the contestants dancing ... at all cost.
'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' is provides a rather depressing, yet cathartic film experience. Director Sydney Pollack gets some tour-de-force performances out of a gritty Jane Fonda, Gig Young, & especially Susannah York, who plays the very-tragic Alice. Pollack keeps the pace of the dance competition accelerated so that we are drawn into the drama & outcome. The cinematography, sets, costumes, & music score work together to provide a truly haunting, melancholy piece of work. Thanks to the direction & astute writing, the dance floor (and ensuing competition) serves as a microcosm for America at its most precarious time.
During the process of this torturous dance, we witness injury, some deaths, self-destruction, depression, & even brutal animalistic behavior on the dance floor. Why are they doing this!? The motivation seems to be the same for all: 3 meals a day, some notoriety, a chance of winning a prize of $1,500 at a time when America was suffering from starvation, severe unemployment, fatigue, disillusionment, high crime, & an abundance of suicides. Most people had been brought up to believe that if you worked hard & did a good job, then good fortune would come to you. Yet during the Depression, failure & defeat crept deep into the human soul.
Our main protagonist is Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a bitter, disagreeable loner/misfit who wants to be an actress, and enjoys lashing out at all those around her. Why? Because she has all but run out of the will to keep on living. Other contestants include: Alice (Susannah York), a Jean Harlow-type who desperately aspires to be a movie star; Ruby (Bonnie Bedelia), a pregnant farm girl; her husband James (Bruce Dern); Sailor (Red Buttons), an aged marathoner whose weak heart can't match his high hopes; & overseeing the contest is Rocky (Gig Young), the sleazy, unshaven emcee whose job is to keep the contestants dancing ... at all cost.
'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' is provides a rather depressing, yet cathartic film experience. Director Sydney Pollack gets some tour-de-force performances out of a gritty Jane Fonda, Gig Young, & especially Susannah York, who plays the very-tragic Alice. Pollack keeps the pace of the dance competition accelerated so that we are drawn into the drama & outcome. The cinematography, sets, costumes, & music score work together to provide a truly haunting, melancholy piece of work. Thanks to the direction & astute writing, the dance floor (and ensuing competition) serves as a microcosm for America at its most precarious time.