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IMDbPro

Equus

  • 19771977
  • RR
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
8.4K
YOUR RATING
Richard Burton and Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
A psychiatrist attempts to uncover a troubled stable boy's disturbing obsession with horses.
Play trailer2:01
1 Video
32 Photos
DramaMystery
A psychiatrist attempts to uncover a troubled stable boy's disturbing obsession with horses.A psychiatrist attempts to uncover a troubled stable boy's disturbing obsession with horses.A psychiatrist attempts to uncover a troubled stable boy's disturbing obsession with horses.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
8.4K
YOUR RATING
    • Sidney Lumet
    • Peter Shaffer(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Richard Burton
    • Peter Firth
    • Colin Blakely
    • Sidney Lumet
    • Peter Shaffer(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Richard Burton
    • Peter Firth
    • Colin Blakely
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 69User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos32

    Richard Burton and Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Richard Burton in Equus (1977)
    Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Jenny Agutter and Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Richard Burton and Joan Plowright in Equus (1977)
    Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Richard Burton and Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Richard Burton in Equus (1977)
    Richard Burton and Peter Firth in Equus (1977)
    Peter Firth in Equus (1977)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Burton
    Richard Burton
    • Martin Dysart
    Peter Firth
    Peter Firth
    • Alan Strang
    Colin Blakely
    Colin Blakely
    • Frank Strang
    Joan Plowright
    Joan Plowright
    • Dora Strang
    Harry Andrews
    Harry Andrews
    • Harry Dalton
    Eileen Atkins
    Eileen Atkins
    • Hesther Saloman
    Jenny Agutter
    Jenny Agutter
    • Jill Mason
    Kate Reid
    Kate Reid
    • Margaret Dysart
    John Wyman
    John Wyman
    • Horseman
    Elva Mai Hoover
    Elva Mai Hoover
    • Miss Raintree
    Ken James
    • Mr. Pearce
    Patrick Brymer
    • Hospital Patient
    Sufi Bukhari
    • 2nd Child
    • (uncredited)
    David Gardner
    • Dr. Bennett
    • (uncredited)
    James Hurdle
    • Mr. Davies
    • (uncredited)
    Frazier Mohawk
    • Ringmaster
    • (uncredited)
    Mark Parr
    • Clown
    • (uncredited)
    Karen Pearson
    • Mary
    • (uncredited)
      • Sidney Lumet
      • Peter Shaffer(screenplay by) (based upon the stage play by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Richard Burton, who was suffering from back pain and pinched nerves, recorded his eight monologues in one day.
    • Goofs
      Some of the horses blinded in the final scene in the stable are obviously just puppets.
    • Quotes

      Martin Dysart: Moments snap together like magnets forged in a chain of shackles. Why? I can trace them, I can even with time pull them apart again. But why at the start were they ever magnetized at all. Why those particular moments of experience and no others, I do not know! And nor does ANY BODY ELSE! And if *I* don't know, if I can *never* know, what am I doing here? I don't mean clinically doing, or socially doing, but fundamentally. These whys, these questions, are fundamental. Yet they have no place in a consulting room. So then do I? Do any of us?

    • Alternate versions
      When released theatrically in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario board of Censors made cuts to horses getting blinded for a 'Restricted' rating.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 35th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      Motor City
      (uncredited)

      Music by Nick Ingman

      KPM Music Ltd

    User reviews69

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Superb Film on its Own, Different Terms
    One of the most intriguing comments I've heard about this film is that it pales in comparison to the stage production. On the one hand, this is true in that the film loses much of the inventive staging that was inherent in the play (e.g., convention of having the "horses" played by actors in black with horsehead headdresses, the tight focus of the action within a small perimeter). The problem, however, isn't so much Sidney Lumet's concept of the film as it is the limitations of the medium itself -- devices which are striking on stage simply don't work on film. Indeed, those directors who have tried to make such conventions work usually end up shortchanging the material.

    And it is here where Lumet's genius comes in. If there is one thing that Lumet has a feel for, it is the gritty, down-to-earth feel of everyday life. While this usually means New York life, he does a marvelous job in this film of capturing the drab sterility of Dysart's world, as well as that of the Strang home. When these are compared to the vivid, almost ethereal shots of Alan in the stables or with the horses on the field (also, compare the striking image of horse and rider on the beach with the remainder of the beachgoers), we can fully understand Dysart's frustration about "looking at pages of centaurs trampling the soil of Argos" while Alan "is trying to become one in a Hampshire field". Alan has found a way to completely escape the drabness of his world, while Dysart has become sterile trying to find ways not remind himself of it. Similarly, the tight perimeter of the stage play has been replaced by tight focused shots which, more often than not, achieve the same result through a claustrophobic effect.

    Likewise, the absence of theatrical staging does nothing to dampen the power of Shaffer's text, which remains as potent as ever. Indeed, what's often overlooked about this play is that, while the visual images of the staging are striking, they are, in most instances, completely detached from the central thrust of the text, both as a mystery and as a commentary on the consequences of society's demand for "normality" at any cost.

    In this regard, the performances are outstanding. Richard Burton gives one of his last great performances as Dysart, showing us the literally crumbling facade of the doctor's spirit, while at the same time giving us a complete character (contrast his cynicism throughout with the moments of tenderness, such as those shown to Alan's mother and to Alan himself after the final session). Likewise, Peter Firth presents us with a cipher, wrapped up in television jingles, who is revealed to us piece by piece through moments of vulnerability until we see in full force what has made his character commit these horrible crimes. The rest of the cast -- notably Joan Plowright, Colin Blakely and Jenny Agutter -- do wonders with the limited dialogue they have to work with.

    Put simply, Equus is an astonishing film to watch, provided that you're ready to watch it as a film, rather than as a filmed stage play. For those who hold to the notion that only the stage devices can make this play work, I'd advise them not to watch any film adapted from a play, as they'll almost certainly be disappointed every time.
    helpful•41
    3
    • chrstphrtully
    • Apr 9, 2002

    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 20, 1977 (United Kingdom)
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Cinespace Film Studios - 11030 Highway 27, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Persky-Bright Productions
      • Winkast Film Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 17 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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