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Equus (1977)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 3/17, 10/17, 11/21

Equus
3/17: Equus is a deep, disturbing psychological picture that may be the best of the genre.

Also, it features the last great performance by Richard Burton in a serious comeback after appearing in several disasters, and as a result, he was awarded the seventh and final Oscar nomination of his storied acting career.

Not to be missed is Peter Firth's intense, show-stealing Oscar-nominated performance as Alan Strang. I'm surprised he, having played the character over a thousand times on stage, didn't win the award because it's one of the best performances that anyone has given in the history of motion pictures. And Jenny Agutter is a brave lady, too.

Peter Shaffer, who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Amadeus, wrote the play for Equus which is based on a true story of a boy who blinded six horses, but he dramatized the whole thing to reach for a stronger effect in a sexual and psychological way. I love how he interweaves the equine language with what's happening with the boy.

Sidney Lumet is the perfect director for such material because of his ability to put complicated ideas together. The two best scenes are Alan Strang's dream ride and Martin Dysart's revelation of how much he envied the boy's passion.

All in all, Equus is unquestionably one of the best movies ever made.

10/17: When I think of Equus, I simultaneously think of Richard Burton and Peter Firth.

I'm still surprised Peter Firth didn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor after playing the character over a thousand of times on stage. Nobody was better than him that year.

Richard Burton...it's impossible to think of him less than a superlative actor of the highest order. He's brilliant as Martin Dysart the psychiatrist, and he understood clearly what he was dealing with in Alan Strang. The way Richard Burton delivered his lines are sublime, powerful, and hypnotic, especially during the soliloquies.

"The boy's in pain, Martin." It's the quote of the film that captures what psychiatry is all about: to help people manage their pain while they're suffering in mental hell. The scene of Alan Strang going round and round with his white horse is unforgettable. There's nothing like it.

All in all, Richard Burton and Peter Firth were robbed of their Oscars for Equus.

11/21: Brilliant writing, brilliant acting, and brilliant story.

After sloshing around in the world of alcohol and wasting his talent for years, Richard Burton makes the greatest comeback of all time by appearing in Equus as psychiatrist Martin Dysart to give a fiery but focused performance. His riveting soliloquies are the stuff of greats.

The way Richard Burton plays off everybody is his acting gift. Always in character, he never pretends but reacts in a genuine way. There's a powerful scene between him and Eileen Atkins at the table as they both explore the purpose of treating Alan Strang. Burton, as Dysart, talks about being envious of his passion: "That's what his stare has been saying to me all this time: 'At least I galloped. When did you?'"

Peter Firth is unforgettable. It's a singular peformance. Yes, nominated for an Oscar, but he really got robbed of the win. So was Richard Burton which went to Richard Dreyfuss (oh, please) for The Goodbye Girl. You won't find two of the most extraordinary performances in the same film that often. Colin Blakely and Joan Plowright are excellent as well.

All in all, when I think of Richard Burton's masterpiece acting performances, Equus ranks right up there.