Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
A film adaptation of the play by Peter Shaffer, Equus stars Richard Burton as Martin Dysart, a psychiatrist who takes on an unusual case: a young stable boy (Peter Firth) who, in frenzy, has blinded six horses. Their sessions reveal that the boy has a quasi-religious fetish for horses and he rides them in the dead of night, experiencing an ecstasy unlike anything Dysart has ever known. Dysart begins to question: Is the pursuit of normalcy worth the loss of individual passions?
Equus features a lot of hokum--its therapy scenes are absurd crescendos of revelation and insights--but its central question has substance, the direction is energetic, and the performances are powerful; Burton, handsome and haggard, brings a complex self-loathing to his role. It also features Jenny Agutter and Joan Plowright. --Bret Fetzer
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Sidney Lumet made some of the very best films of the 70s; 'Serpico', 'Dog Day Afternoon' and 'Network' being his best known. He also made some phenomenal British movies, the best of which are 'The Offence' (1972) and 'Equus' (1977).
I came to this film knowing very little about it, and am very glad for that fact, as it is not something to which justice can be done in a small summary of its story, nor is it a story that would make most people subsequently want to see the film. For this reason I will simply tell you that this film's power is not in its story, but in its exceptional delivery.
Lumet's films almost always have a certain unspoken quality to them that is very hard to define. I used to think it was the absence of a director's mark, but that is precisely the mark of Lumet; we don't know he's there. There is never any notion of self-consciousness in his films and, in a film this prone to pretension, that is quite a feat.
Shaffer's writing is inspired and meticulously researched, but never at the expense of the audience's attention. The psychology and philosophy that form the undercurrent of this movie demand that it be a slow paced film and that the viewer be prepared to ask themselves a lot of difficult questions, but the result is ultimately all the more rewarding.
I cannot imagine that the two leads could've been better cast. The criminally underrated Peter Firth manages to evoke fear, confusion and pity without ever resorting to acting by numbers. There is a coherence to his character which makes us want to put the pieces together, which is precisely why Burton's doctor is so drawn to him in the film. Burton is also on fine form, and Lumet does a wonderful job of keeping him on the screen despite the theatricality of the character and his dialogue, not to mention that of Burton as an actor.
This is not a film I would recommend to many people, as it is not easy viewing and it demands a good deal of emotional intelligence and the patience to use it. This is far from popcorn. If that statement makes you want to see the film even more, I recommend you do so as soon as possible.
I came to this film knowing very little about it, and am very glad for that fact, as it is not something to which justice can be done in a small summary of its story, nor is it a story that would make most people subsequently want to see the film. For this reason I will simply tell you that this film's power is not in its story, but in its exceptional delivery.
Lumet's films almost always have a certain unspoken quality to them that is very hard to define. I used to think it was the absence of a director's mark, but that is precisely the mark of Lumet; we don't know he's there. There is never any notion of self-consciousness in his films and, in a film this prone to pretension, that is quite a feat.
Shaffer's writing is inspired and meticulously researched, but never at the expense of the audience's attention. The psychology and philosophy that form the undercurrent of this movie demand that it be a slow paced film and that the viewer be prepared to ask themselves a lot of difficult questions, but the result is ultimately all the more rewarding.
I cannot imagine that the two leads could've been better cast. The criminally underrated Peter Firth manages to evoke fear, confusion and pity without ever resorting to acting by numbers. There is a coherence to his character which makes us want to put the pieces together, which is precisely why Burton's doctor is so drawn to him in the film. Burton is also on fine form, and Lumet does a wonderful job of keeping him on the screen despite the theatricality of the character and his dialogue, not to mention that of Burton as an actor.
This is not a film I would recommend to many people, as it is not easy viewing and it demands a good deal of emotional intelligence and the patience to use it. This is far from popcorn. If that statement makes you want to see the film even more, I recommend you do so as soon as possible.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
At the time this film adaptation of Schaffer's stage play came out, Ithought it was as powerful as any film I'd seen in its allegorical debateon the importance and role of religion, explored through the theme of adisturbed boy who blinds six horses, having begun to worship Equus the godto substitute for a lack of reference points in his own life. Inretrospect some of the power has been diluted, particularly by thespecific language and dated references, but the themes and performancesremain timeless.
Richard Burton could always be relied upon to elevate fine scriptwritingto majestic heights, though at times he comes perilously close to hammingit up and destroying the carefully constructed edifice. This is actuallyno bad thing since Burton embodies the fragility of the human psyche, anessential component of Shaffer's argument. He is never less thanhypnotically watchable, which can also be said of Jenny Agutter!
Burton might be dead, but his work lives on. Equus is a finely-craftedfilm, almost deceptively so, that stands further analysis, but can also beenjoyed at a superficial level. Watch and enjoy!
Richard Burton could always be relied upon to elevate fine scriptwritingto majestic heights, though at times he comes perilously close to hammingit up and destroying the carefully constructed edifice. This is actuallyno bad thing since Burton embodies the fragility of the human psyche, anessential component of Shaffer's argument. He is never less thanhypnotically watchable, which can also be said of Jenny Agutter!
Burton might be dead, but his work lives on. Equus is a finely-craftedfilm, almost deceptively so, that stands further analysis, but can also beenjoyed at a superficial level. Watch and enjoy!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not the easiest of viewings...
Twisted? Yes. Inspiring? No. Popcorn film? Absolutely not. Equus is not a sit-down-with-the-family film, unless your family is very liberal, and even then, certainly if you are... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Alice_R_Foster
hmmm interesting
When I was first introduced to the play 'Equus' I was inclined and inquisitive to find out more about it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Isabella
Horses for courses
Film adaptation of the acclaimed play by Peter Shaffer concerning a disturbed adolescent who falls under the auspices of a psychiatrist, played by Richard Burton, after blinding... Read more
Published 17 months ago by All of them Witches
Very bad!
I purchased this product on the 21st of August and have yet to recieve the item! I have recieved no emails about the status of the product nor have i recieved an apology. Read more
Published 18 months ago by PonyMad
Equus - The Movie
Having been to see the play at my local rep I wanted to see what the film was like. I was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 6 April 2010 by Mrs. Dorothy Mcgregor
One of the greatest, EVER!
People critisize this film for there own reasons and I think there is a simple reason. They either get it but pretend they dont or they do and say it does not stand up to scrutiny. Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2008 by SolarisDorian
Powerful but flawed
The play on which this film is based, by Peter Shaffer, was apparently a big hit on Broadway. Sir Peter Shaffer is now 80, and a revival of his excellent play 'The Royal Hunt... Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2006 by Marco Polo Mint
Turgid but interesting
This film is not without merit. Its key attractions are its unusual story line and its interesting ideas on religion, sex, passion, mental health, fetishism, psychoanalysis and... Read more
Published on 28 July 2004
Twisted...
Fabulously written play, describing the 'perversions' of a young man, who has become obsessed with power. Read more
Published on 1 July 2003 by Paul Thomas O'Connor
made horses interesting for me.
absolultly brilliant! A faithful representation of the wonderful novel by Peter Shaffer, this centers around a terrible crime commited by a young teenage boy, concerning horses,... Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2000
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
