They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
Drama

People Are The Ultimate Spectacle.

Recognized as one of the most highly acclaimed films of its time, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Gig Young), and was nominated for nine Academy Awards (1969), including Best Director (Sydney Pollack), Best Actress (Jane Fonda), and Best Supporting Actress (Susannah York).

User Comment: Rex Michael Dillon (misterdillon@yahoo.com) San Jose • One of the most common motifs of the Middle Ages was that of the wheel of fortune. The apex being the best of luck, good fortune and plenty. The low point being misery or that of the dispossessed. The idea that one could at one time or another end up anywhere on the wheel must have been great solace to those who felt they were at the bottom.

In Sydney Pollack's 1969 film, `They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' we are given this idea of life in a microcosm. The film, set during the Great Depression is a perfect representation of the same kind of desperation felt during the Middle Ages (or any age, for that matter). This film looks at the Great Depression, and the gimick of a Dance Marathon as a depiction of times in history when the fear of utter loss is very acute. The people facing this challenge are represented in the film by the marathon dancers. The dancers are an ensemble cast including: Jane Fonda as Gloria Beatty, Michael Sarrazin as Robert Syverton, Susannah York as Alice LeBlanc, Red Buttons as `Sailor,' Bonnie Bedelia as Ruby, Bruce Dern as James, and other minor characters.

Of course, certain people have always seemed to be outside of the desperation of life. There are peoples whose fortunes seem set, and sometimes may even seem to be puppet-masters pulling the strings. This was represented in the film by the characters such as Gig Young as `Rocky,' and his partner Al Lewis (III) as `Turkey.' Even an audience members seemed to be one of the quasi-puppet-masters (the audience were people who paid to come see these grueling marathons as entertainment) most notably represented by Madge Kennedy as Mrs. Laydon. In this respect it reminded me of Greek Tragedy (mainly the Ilyad,) with the non-dancing cast as part of the pantheon of gods. Sometimes they are empathetic to the mortals (the cast on the dance floor). Just as in the Greek stories, the gods are pulling for their own personal favorite.

This film is an example of good acting. The acting is so critical to the enjoyment of an otherwise very depressing story. Each of the actors was completely believable in the part the played. No one's acting was `over the top.' I would note however, that Jane Fonda's character, Gloria, was a bit too void of emotion, other than bitterness, until the very end. Her story-telling scene with her second partner was delivered a little too flatly. On the positive side, it she is also in one of the best scenes in the film, which I will address in a minute.

It was the lesser characters that really brought the most credibility to the story and the film. Each of the folks were merely background and then, we are sucked into the film, just as though we were in the audience of the dance hall, they'd pass near... where we could almost hear their individual stories... just for a moment, and then they'd swirl, sway or stagger away... back into oblivion.

As we watched the film we can feel their desperation. In the scenes of the track, One might get the sense, `that's what I am doing. I am one of them... a hamster on the treadmill, all for the next silver dollar. For someone else's entertainment...'

The female character I liked the most was a difficult decision. The Mrs. Laydon character (fits the Greek Goddess Hera role, to continue my earlier analogy...) sat with her kerchief waving, her eyes full of compassion. Alice LeBlanc, the platinum coifed, her eyes hollow as she finally lost touch with the only thing she had to cling to... her hope for stardom extinguished in the shower, just before she is escorted out, `exit, stage right...' As touching and real as these two women played their parts, I felt that Rocky had it right when he told Gloria, `I may not know a winner when I see one, but I sure know a loser...' and Ruby was certainly not. Ruby was determined to give the baby she was carrying a fighting chance in life... even off screen, you could sense her determination. So, Ruby gets my vote for most convincing female role.

The male character that provided the best acting was tough, but the competition was not as stiff as competition between the women. Rocky played the Zeus role to a `T'. But it was the feisty determination and ultimate collapse of `Sailor' that won me over. His character was perhaps the most human of the men. He really wanted to win it, you could sense that. At the same time he was not above feeling for some of the people he was competing against, encouraging them.

I enjoyed the picture, and I found it relevant to today's marathon. The silicon-valley is full of folks all competing for that somewhat empty promise and the same dollar. One of the wisest scenes of the movie was the dialogue between Rocky and Gloria. She enters his office to ask him to change the rules. He's busy at something else. She asks what he's doing and he points out that he's been keeping tabs on everyone. The prize will be reconciled after the bills are exacted. This is life. Anyone who's had a run of misfortune could relate to that. I was reluctant to watch the film after all these years, especially with my aversion to Jane Fonda. Nevertheless, it was perhaps one of the best films of the late sixties/early seventies.

Summary: Spinning like the wheel of fortune/this one ends in tragedy

Desperate people, desperate times. In the midst of the Depression, with no work and little to eat, and entire generation sought out the dance marathon as a means of survival. Brought together by chance, Gloria (Jane Fonda) and Robert (Michael Sarrazin) test the limits of friendship and physical endurance as the manipulative contest promoter (Gig Young) pushes them to the limits of their existence. The audience watches, the clock ticks on… Who will Survive?

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Is a powerful drama revealing the exploitation of a starving generation by a fad so grotesque it was later banned by law.

--- JOYA - No SDH ---

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