Yauzer, Yauzer. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They,?" is only moderately successful in recreating the dance marathon of the 1930s during the depression years.
Jane Fonda and Susannah York received well-deserved Oscar nominations for their portrayals as dance contestants eager to win the big prize for survival. As Gloria, the heroine of dance hall contests, Fonda was the embodiment of a period of social turmoil in America. Her utter despair and hopelessness as a born loser is well depicted in the film. York, as an aspiring actress, who seduces, Sarrazin, partner to Fonda, seems to be in a whirlwind of utter chaos. Her cracking up scene in a shower following the collapse of Red Buttons is memorable and poignant.
We feel the tiredness of the contestants as the hours pass and they desperately try to stay on course so as not to be eliminated. Due to the depression-like atmosphere, there is still plenty of food for the aspiring contestants to eat. It's very hard to conceive that Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia, who plays his pregnant wife, could endure so many hours of this torment. The lackluster effect is somewhat offset by the derby sequences. Played with the tunes of California Here I Come and By the Sea, By the Sea the contestants jog quickly so as to avoid elimination. Red Buttons portrays an aging sailor who does a nice tap dance scene but it's too much for him in the end.
As the marathon emcee, Gig Young won a best supporting Oscar. This award was his 3rd nomination. He had been nominated for his alcoholic portrayals in both the drama "Come fill the Cup," in 1951 and the delightful comedy, "Teacher's Pet,"in 1958. In 'Horses' he is right on step with the contestants, following their every movement. He is sort of like a town barker. Seemingly sympathetic to the contestants, he is nonetheless a businessman at heart.
The film is truly a haunting portrayal of what marathon dancers went through in their quest for survival. Those revolving chandeliers shows a possible elegance in a period of want and deprivation. The problem is the gloom and doom depicted in the film. After all, even the Great Depression ended. It's still difficult to figure out the Sarrazin character. Was he victim of the depression, a lunatic or a loner caught up in an air of hopelessness?
Jane Fonda and Susannah York received well-deserved Oscar nominations for their portrayals as dance contestants eager to win the big prize for survival. As Gloria, the heroine of dance hall contests, Fonda was the embodiment of a period of social turmoil in America. Her utter despair and hopelessness as a born loser is well depicted in the film. York, as an aspiring actress, who seduces, Sarrazin, partner to Fonda, seems to be in a whirlwind of utter chaos. Her cracking up scene in a shower following the collapse of Red Buttons is memorable and poignant.
We feel the tiredness of the contestants as the hours pass and they desperately try to stay on course so as not to be eliminated. Due to the depression-like atmosphere, there is still plenty of food for the aspiring contestants to eat. It's very hard to conceive that Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia, who plays his pregnant wife, could endure so many hours of this torment. The lackluster effect is somewhat offset by the derby sequences. Played with the tunes of California Here I Come and By the Sea, By the Sea the contestants jog quickly so as to avoid elimination. Red Buttons portrays an aging sailor who does a nice tap dance scene but it's too much for him in the end.
As the marathon emcee, Gig Young won a best supporting Oscar. This award was his 3rd nomination. He had been nominated for his alcoholic portrayals in both the drama "Come fill the Cup," in 1951 and the delightful comedy, "Teacher's Pet,"in 1958. In 'Horses' he is right on step with the contestants, following their every movement. He is sort of like a town barker. Seemingly sympathetic to the contestants, he is nonetheless a businessman at heart.
The film is truly a haunting portrayal of what marathon dancers went through in their quest for survival. Those revolving chandeliers shows a possible elegance in a period of want and deprivation. The problem is the gloom and doom depicted in the film. After all, even the Great Depression ended. It's still difficult to figure out the Sarrazin character. Was he victim of the depression, a lunatic or a loner caught up in an air of hopelessness?