Equus

It's usually girls that have a fixation on horses, but this particular affliction also affects Peter Firth.

Sidney Lumet adds this version of Peter Schaffer's play to his list of memorable theatrical adaptations while Richard Burton earns his reputation breaching the third wall to provide the glue that holds the film together and was duly rewarded with several awards (including an Oscar nomination).

The orange-tinted scene in the barn where Jenny Agutter slips out of her jodhpurs and on to her back provides an unexpected thrill unfortunately blighted (SPOILER COMING:) by the truly shocking sight that immediately follows.

I loved this movie so much, I found a copy of the play online, bought it, and read it with glee. It's a beautiful, complicated film -- definitely a must see. What I especially liked was the way the movie handled religion and insanity. Is curing someone of their mental illness taking away their religion? Is psychiatry a "cult of the normal"?

Richard Burton delivers hypnotic sermons, staring straight into the camera, as we slowly zoom in on his face. He confesses that he's jealous of his patient. The boy is in pain, but passion is pain. The boy is worshiping a pagan god -- something Burton wishes he could do as well. Instead, he settles for flipping through books, looking at photographs of old artifacts. The therapist wonders if he's taking the boy's god away by curing him.

If you like Carl Jung, you'll love this film! Equus, archetypal God, we love you!

Some complain that the psychology in this film is "campy" at best. Others say the film can't possibly compare to the stage play. Well, fine. Maybe it shouldn't be used as a model for treating patients, and maybe plays are different than movies. But the film as a piece of art, on its own, is powerful, moving, and fascinating.

I want people watch this film with an open mind but they have to be mature and understanding. Alan Strang is disturbed young man who has a disturbed fascination with horses. He places them in the godlike category. His relationship only gets worse when he works at a stable barn. There, he has almost a bestial relationship with the animals there. When he finally confronts a relationship with a fellow stable girl played nicely by Jenny Agutter. When he feels watched and betrays his god, he commits the most disturbing crime. Warning, this film is not for children or some adults with weak stomachs. There is full nudity of both Firth and Agutter in the movie. There also wonderful performances by Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Joan Plowright in this film.

An interesting drama, with an intriguing screenplay full of interesting ideas and with a strikingly mystery element to it, the film is a bit lengthy and drawn out, and there are a few other quirks one may have with it, but it is generally solid stuff. Burton is very good as an ever-questioning doctor, fascinated by his patient for reasons that are beyond what he can grasp. Firth also is strong as a confused young man, and he has quite a bit to do with his role: he plays his character in a mentally disturbed state, under hypnosis, and even credibly as himself at age six in one scene. The film is jarred by its monologues, which cause it to ramble on and become tangled in its philosophies - but the ideas themselves are good. It was adapted from a stage play and perhaps it would have worked better on stage, but even if imperfect, this film version is still an interesting watch.

Richard Burton gave his finest performance in this adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play about a psychiatrist (Burton) who must unravel a mystery surrounding the blinding of a number horses from a young boy,played to perfection by Peter Firth. The film loses the play's theatricality immensely, but the performances in the film are so incredible all around that none of that will matter. Joan Plowright stands out as the young boy's mother. Burton and Firth were Oscar nominated.