roddekker Set in California during The Great Depression of the 1930's - "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is all about the wretchedness, and all the utter hopelessness of an era of impoverishment like none other in American history.Here the viewer is witness to every despairing detail of destitution. All so graphically depicted. All so clearly unfolded through the sad experiences of a pitiful collection of marathon dancers, each one at the utter brink of desperation.This is a dance marathon to beat all other dance marathons. To date it has been running now, non-stop, for 2 months, solid. It's guaranteed to be a real record-breaker.And, the one, final couple that remains on their feet to the bitter end, out-dancing all others, will be crowned the winners, receiving as their hard-earned reward a grand prize of $1,500. Not much money by today's standards, but, for the many who were absolutely poverty-stricken during The Depression, it represented a literal fortune.Yep. That's what "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is all about.

Mr_Ectoplasma "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" chronicles a dance marathon competition in Santa Monica in the post-Great Depression era. Among the contestants vying for the $1,500 victory are a depressive and damaged aspiring actress (Jane Fonda), a wannabe filmmaker-turned-criminal (Michael Sarrazin), another aspiring Hollywood starlet (Susannah York), and a pregnant wife and her husband (Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Dern). The competition begins to wear on the already- downtrodden contestants, slowly transforming into a grand guignol of psychological and physical horrors.Based on the 1935 novel of the same name, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is one of those rare films that are so solid across the board (acting, cinematography, writing) that it's something of a masterpiece. The premise is almost paper-thin and on the surface sounds somewhat dull: a dance marathon where contestants have to stay on their feet for hundreds upon hundreds of hours till they all fall down; but the emotional depth of the characters is the key ingredient that enriches the entire film.Each of the characters carry with them an array of baggage and psychological complexity that is subtly unraveled, and the writing is really the glue that keeps the show together, supplemented with career-defining performances from Fonda and York. It is an extremely attentive character study above all else, but simultaneously operates as a grim metaphor for American society that is as relevant today as it was in the wake of the Great Depression. Sydney Pollack is able to paint layer upon layer of tension and the audience sees a disaster coming from the first frame, but the writing and performances never cease to be completely engrossing. The fact that actual dance marathons were a reality (and an en vogue one at that) makes the film's bite even more vicious. While the film has certainly been praised by critics and cinephiles over the years, it is not exactly a well-known film, which is a bit of a shame. The filmmakers here managed to take a straightforward premise and present it as a psychologically complex and disturbing portrait of broken people in an increasingly dire situation. Phenomenal all across the board. 10/10.

mark.waltz With society moving towards degradation in the late 1960's, filmmakers took more serious looks at earlier eras romanticized during the golden age of Hollywood. The popular dance marathons of the early 1930's, most famously done in Atlantic City, were a cavalcade of desperate young people trying to survive through the depression. This movie serves as a metaphor for the lost youth of the late 1960's dealing with civil rights and a war in Vietnam they wanted no part of.Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin are just two of the contestants caught up in this hoopla as they struggle to last through the grueling dances, sprint races and bad entertainment provided by some of the pathetic people trying to either gain fame or win a sponsor. The faces of all of these contestants show their world weariness, especially Fonda's who seems to long for the peace of death. Add in Gig Young as the emcee/producer of the marathon, a lecherous man who has no qualms in attempting to rape one of the exhausted dancers (Susannah York). He is both equally ruthless and charming as he utilizes every trick in the book to put on a show. Reminding me of the emcee in "Cabaret", it is no wonder that when Kander and Ebb did their own marathon musical "Steel Pier", the emcee/host of that marathon was a combination of both characters in this and in "Cabaret".Depression films of the past fifty years have touched on the many aspects of survival, whether through the violence of "Bonnie and Clyde" or the sleaziness of "Ironweed". "They Shoot Horses" takes on the world of entertainment and adds in some sports plus lots of desperation, despair and finally exhaustion towards life itself, reminding us that each era has had its share of miserable social moments which looked like the end of civilized society.

Rockwell_Cronenberg In They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, an extensive dance marathon slowly turns into a brutal exploration of the human spirit. Just about the entire film takes place within the confines of one building, the setting for the marathon lasting weeks, with a group of varied characters coming together in an attempt to outlast the rest for the grand cash prize. It's an interesting premise and has been used several times, mostly for comedic purposes, but the idea of it holds so much dramatic potential. Playing it for comedy would be easy, but the script by James Poe and Robert E. Thompson, adapted from a novel by Horace McCoy, goes for the harsh reality of it all and what comes out is a grueling, tragic display.The experience these characters put themselves through is torturous, always putting on a show for the crowd and at the mercy of the judges and Gig Young's announcer Rocky. It's like watching animals in a zoo, slowly being pushed down to their dying breath. The film provides an interesting social commentary in the way that the crowd starts off minimal, only a few spectators in the stands as the participants are relatively fresh and alert, but as the days go on and their hope dwindles the crowd grows and grows. They want to see the chaotic potential of the marathon, they want to see these human beings brought to their breaking point, and they get that in spades.Focusing on the young Robert (Michael Sarrazin) and Gloria (Jane Fonda), two loners who partner up for the contest, the film explores some dark themes through their experience of the contest and the downward spiral they are pushed through. There are flashes to Robert being arrested for an unknown crime that we see several times throughout the film, which provide an interesting look at his character and a curious mystery to try and decipher, but the primary focus of the film is on those themes of bringing a person to their breaking point and seeing what comes out as a result.The performances are uniformly strong, from the powerfully broken Fonda, to the borderline psychotic Susannah York, to the energetic and determined Red Buttons, but special note should be given to Young who is charismatic and malicious as the host of ceremonies but in his moments out of the spotlight presents a sort of bitter melancholy towards the world that adds another layer to his character. Pollack's direction here is understated but absolutely remarkable. He doesn't use a lot of flash or technique, but he seamlessly gives the film the sensation of it being a marathon itself. You can feel the days and weeks pressing on as they grow weaker, more tired and more hopeless.By the time the final act comes, the audience is in as much as a weary daze as the participants are. It all comes around to it's final sequence, which is tragic beyond the definition of the word. The revelations are powerful and finding out the true meaning of the title is a revelation for the ages. A strange, unique and utterly brilliant work.