Rating: 
Summary: But how did they shoot "Horses" ?
Review:
Movie: ***** DVD Transfer: ***** DVD Extras: **
Impeccable performances distinguish this penetrating examination of Depression-era America in which a dance marathon acts as a microcosm of the world for the desperate contestants and the calculating producers of the event. Jane Fonda's breakthrough performance as the cynical and embittered Gloria is the centerpiece of the film; the actress is nothing short of brilliant as she creates a character who is completely unsentimental and largely unsympathetic, but nonetheless humanly understandable. Fonda's wrenching tour de force is ably supported by a great cast of professionals all performing at the peak of their abilities, including Susannah York as a would-be starlet desperate to be discovered (her final scene is gut-wrenching); Michael Sarrazin as the drifter who becomes Fonda's dancing partner through a twist of fate; Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Dern as a hard-luck couple trying to beat the odds; Michael Conrad and Al ("Grandpa Munster") Lewis as employees of the marathon; and especially, Gig Young in his Oscar-winning turn as the marathon's sardonic and manipulative emcee.
Also of note are the film's remarkable achievements in makeup and editing. The majority of the action takes place in one location over a period of several weeks, with the characters slowly losing their vitality and letting their appearances go as exhaustion and numbness set in. The makeup artists and wardrobe team did a fantastic job of providing visual continuity for the stars and many extras over the film's nearly two-hour running time; no small feat there! And the razor-sharp editing contributes enormously to the film's pace, alternating lengthy stretches of dialogue and inaction with bravura, manic sequences in which rapid cuts create the impression of a society run amok.
The new MGM Home Video of this neglected gem offers clean, sharp video and crisp sound. Viewed on a 57" widescreen monitor, my copy looked and sounded perfect; especially effective were the scenes at the beginning of the film when a series of startling reports resembled the sound of a gun being fired. The extras include only the Original Theatrical Trailer - which is a treat - but leaves the curious viewer wanting more. I would have really loved an audio commentary by the surviving cast members and the director, or at least some filmed interview clips. This is a fascinating film that deserves the deluxe treatment, but until that happens, this edition is well worth adding to your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: American Idol deja vu
Review: As I watched American Idol recently I kept thinking of this movie. It stands as one of my all-time favourites. Seems like the wheel's going round again.
Rating:
Summary: Heart-tearing dama!
Review: Astonishingly powerful film from Sydney Pollack. Based on a book about a marathon dance contest in the depression era, this film will floor you by the time it's over. Evocative performances from Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin(plus Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedilia among others) help make this drama top-notch. Incredible and oddly romantic piece is among my favorites of the late 1960s. Looks great on dvd in widescreen.
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty and enjoyable tale of desperation
Review: Compared to Horace McCoy's great novel it's based upon, this movie is totally unconsistent... It's filled with mistakes, from the beginning to the ending. The movie is supposed to take place in Hollywood, but no movie star is introduced to the dancers in the audience. The movie is supposed to take place in a closed room, where passions should break out; but there is no fighting, not a single fight, as McCoy's novel is filled with them. The movie is supposed to take place in a dancing hall, but we can't see any public bar. The movie is supposed to take place in the 30's; but we don't see any cops or gangsters. The public wedding sequence has disappeared, and Gloria, played by very glamour Jane Fonda, loses a lot of her mystery; she never gives us the feeling that she wants to die, she only curses and groans and says things like 'I can't sleep, I'm too tired'; so in the end, when she asks Robert to shoot her in the head, it's more shocking than anything else and it doesn't make much sense.Some other stupid stuff: in McCoy's novel, Mrs. Layden gets killed in the end. In the movie she's not, so we can wonder why she doesn't come to Robert and try to help him, during the trial. But the most enormous thing is that derby track that is rectangular, instead of being oval. It's totally ridiculous! Despite all those mistakes the movie works rather well, but I think it's quite overrated. When I saw it for the first time I was greatly disappointed. I expected to discover a great "noir" movie as good as the novel, maybe better, but I saw just an academic, overcolored, clean, well-thinking melodrama filled with nonsense, in the Hollywood style. Pollack's biggest mistake is to have taken a short novel and put all its strongest elements away (especially the sequence of the public wedding or the one showing Gloria facing the two women from the Mothers' League). Unforgivable. Screenwriter James Poe, who started the movie project, choosed Jane Fonda to play Gloria and first had to direct the film before being suddenly fired by the producers, would have made a much better movie to this one...
Rating:
Summary: Jane Fonda's Performance was Overlooked!
Review: Horace McCoy's depression era play, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is tragically brought to life through the performances of an ensemble cast. Jane Fonda delivers her greatest performance, as Gloria, a loner trying to cope with an everyday painful existence.
Be prepared for a shocking ending, if that's possible. There arises a glimmer of hope that life is better.
Sydney Pollack directs a masterpiece in the exploration of the human condition under the throngs of depression. The utter despair, agony, and suffering of each character is felt, heard, seen, and endured by the viewer. It becomes so intense that you want to scream, "Enough, I can't watch any more." There's no need to scream out. Horace McCoy solves the problem for the viewer, and for Gloria.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Fonda's Performance was Overlooked!
Review: Horace McCoy's depression era play, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is tragically brought to life through the performances of an ensemble cast. Jane Fonda delivers her greatest performance, as Gloria, a loner trying to cope with an everyday painful existence.
Be prepared for a shocking ending, if that's possible. There arises a glimmer of hope that life is better.
Sydney Pollack directs a masterpiece in the exploration of the human condition under the throngs of depression. The utter despair, agony, and suffering of each character is felt, heard, seen, and endured by the viewer. It becomes so intense that you want to scream, "Enough, I can't watch any more." There's no need to scream out. Horace McCoy solves the problem for the viewer, and for Gloria.
Rating:
Summary: DANSE MACABRE...
Review: Horace McCoy's hardboiled 1930's novel about the Hollywood extras who enter a marathon dance contest is turned into a macabre allegory, with the paranoid, apocalyptic vision of American rottenness that was typical of movies in the Vietnam era. As the defiantly self-destructive, sharp-tongued Gloria, Jane Fonda gives a startling strong performance. Although she is somewhat repellent, her playing makes the audience feel empathy for her character: an affecting performance. The ultimately tragic Gig Young won his long awaited AA for his portrait of the crude barker; his pitches on the mike cheapen every human emotion, yet paradoxically, he's also sensitive and empathic. The director, Sydney Pollack, isn't exactly inventive, but he holds a tight rein over his actors; they work well for him, and he keeps the grisly situation going with energy and drive. Michael Sarrazin is memorable as the weak, puppy dog-eyed murderer, and the rest of the excellent cast is genuinely terrific: Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Dern and Red Buttons.
Rating:
Summary: Period Piece
Review: Horace Mcoy,s story comes to life in a stunning film that has it all. Sydney Pollacks dance marathon will leave you totally spent. I,m not a big Jane Fonda fan but in this film she delivers it all. a cynical downtrodden woman who really needs to win something. Sarrazin is perfect as the fall guy for the montage. Ironically, if you read Gig Youngs story.."Final Gig" you will learn that winning an Oscar for this film did not help him at all.causing ultimate depression and suicide. One of the great film editing jobs you will ever see. Stunning.
Rating:
Summary: A Must See
Review: I first watched this film as part of a philosophy class and was astounded by its powerful depiction of the utter hopelessness and pointlessness of life. I have never seen a film that captures those feelings quite as well. Particularly impressive is the stifling atmosphere. . . you can see the characters wilting away slowly in the claustrophobic dance hall. My favorite scene is when Robert futiley lifts his head to the sunlight. Jane Fonda gives an impressive performance, and Gig Young is convincing from the start as the heartless promoter. Definitely a must see.
Rating:
Summary: A MASTERPIECE RESTORED
Review: I was overjoyed to receive a gift of the reissue of this video in 1995, that is until I watched it in all its "pan & scan" desecration. It is truly a joy to watch this DVD (VHS is now available in widescreen as well) in the right format with all the extras. But all that aside, this is a towering, neglected masterpiece of American cinema that virtually put director Sydney Pollack on the map and established Jane Fonda as the premier American actress of the Sixties and Seventies. Who else could have captured the tragic essence of the bitter, beaten Gloria but Fonda? Watch her especially in the final elimination round as she desperately (and literally) carries her ailing partner around the floor in a final attempt to win the big prize and (symbolically) maybe give life one more try. Fonda never sentimalizes this great character as a lesser actress would have been tempted to; no simple answers or easy forgiveness will do for Gloria--she is too important to be trivialized. Red Buttons, Susannah York, and Gig Young are also superb in supporting roles; the cinematography and music also deserve kudos. If you haven't seen it, do not miss this American classic and one of the century's greatest actresses just entering her prime. How we do miss Jane.
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