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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
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- Mawang said...
- Posted on Dec 12 2011 21:59 Good old Time Out: the ONLY guide to see how poorly Richard Burton plays the psychiatrist. It was his ponderously thundering tones that drove my wife away after 5 minutes. If only she had stayed to watch Peter Firth: a great performance there, that kept me engaged till the end.
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- Rohne Hill said...
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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
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