Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageEquus (1977)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Lumet's reverential adaptation of Peter Shaffer's play all but defies sane comment: the sub-Lawrentian pretensions that theatre audiences took so seriously stand revealed in all their Pythonesque absurdity when transposed to the screen. The problem is very basic: theatrical symbolism just isn't the same as filmic realism. Add to this that Burton lacks even a shred of credibility as the psychiatrist, and that Firth's performance - technically faultless - is periodically interrupted by scenes in which the awe-struck camera simply observes him undressed, and you begin to comprehend the film's true wretchedness.Author: TR
User reviews of this film
-
- Rohne Hill said...
-
Posted on Aug 18 2009 22:59
Yeah the pythanesque aspect is unfortunately valid.
What starts off as a Bergman style flic (Solemn intervalled converstaions with the camera etc) does become quite ridiculous by the fifth "Chinkle-Chankle" and "Ark of the Man-bit".
But surely no more ridiculous then many aspects, parlances and catchphrases of religion.
Perhaps "Centuar" would have worked better as a title for the merging of man into godhood, or was it all a horsehead erection?
You're right that Burton isn't quite convincing as a shrink but he does the burnt out aspect all too well, and Peter Firth is marvelous.
One suspects they really shold have replaced Buffalo Bill in Silence of the lambs with this horse worshipping character to really unerve the audience! - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Elliott Kastner, Lester Persky
Cast: Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Joan Plowright, Harry Andrews, Eileen Atkins, Jenny Agutter, Kate Reid full cast
Duration: 137 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now