Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkably moving, 16 Dec 2007
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.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Religious allegory, entertaining cinema, 23 April 2004
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!
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful but flawed, 15 Mar 2006
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 of the Sun' is about to open at the NFT at the time of writing. Most will know him as the playwright behind Amadeus. Dramatically speaking a great deal happens in Equus, and it is clear why it has such appeal on the stage, also bearing in mind the (kooky) psychoanalytic approach, at a time when R.D. Laing was still in favour. Central to the play and film is the common theme of the collapse of religious order, the sway of psychoanalysis, and the conflicts within adolescent sexuality of fantasies of power and the realisation of actual powerlessness. Or something like this. One of the really memorable moments is when the boy incessantly, compulsively repeats advertising slogans, as a kind of unthinking, worldly mantra. You realise to what extent he is subject to much larger unconscious forces, and how vulnerable in the face of these he really is. And we realise how little has changed to this day. While fascinating, of course, the underlying psychoanalytic ideas are dated, and it remains a film (and play) very much of its time. The performances are pretty good, although Burton takes himself too seriously of course. Maybe the parallel with R.D. Laing was intentional, maybe not. Whatever, this will remain a watchable, thought-provoking and at times quite horrific exploration of the adolescent psyche, with enough happening dramatically to be always interesting and sometimes thrilling, a real period piece that still has current appeal. Had I been old enough, though, I would have preferred to see it in its original theatrical incarnation back in 1977, when it must have won over audience and critics alike.
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