They Shoot Horses, Don't They? [DVD]

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.

This is the edition to buy. They restored the original stereo, cleaned up the picture entirely, so the movie looks the way it's supposed to look.Gladiators, professional fighters, ice skaters -- the public gathers to see the performers get hurt. Gig Young says it best when he says "They just want to see a little misery out there."Perhaps the most fantastic scene is when Susannah York pulls Michael Sarrazin into a closet for something that seems like sex but really isn't. It's human contact she wants. "Where were you born? Tell me about your brothers and sisters." True, she is pulling the straps of her dress down, embracing him madly, but it's not sex she wants, it's human intimacy, a little bit of love. The scene gets them both in trouble.A scene that puzzles me is when Jane Fonda fellates Gig Young for no apparent reason but to gain some sort of advantage.More puzzling, even disappointing, is when Jane Fonda expresses shock and surprise when she learns she and Robert will be charged for expenses in the event they win. A girl as cynical as Fonda should have suspected this.Great lines of dialogue: "I'm keeping an eye on you.""Oh yeah? Which one?""Did anyone ever tell you...?""Yeah, they told me."The death of Red Buttons, prepared by Steinkamp cutting to slo-mo with soft music playing and a sudden shot of Buttons clutching his chest "My chest!" is our introduction to the end of the movie. Susannah York goes crazy and is seen no more, Jane Fonda quits the marathon and asks Michael Sarrazin to shoot her, he is too tired to say no, he averts his eyes as he pulls the trigger, Jane Fonda dies, Michael Sarrazin is arrested, and we see a final shot of the marathon with pregnant Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Dern still dancing. The credits roll up quietly, and the movie is over.Edited with uncanny skill by Frederic Steinkamp.You need a strong stomach, but it's a great, classic film.

Something of a novelty this, a film that is actually better than the book it is derived from.Be very careful which version you buy though, most are in 4:3 and poor picture quality. It’s worth hunting out the Spanish blu ray version (Danzad Malditos) which is in widescreen and will play in English without subtitles if you fiddle around in the menu a bit.

I wanted to see this out of curiosity of the Dance Marathon era after reading an article about it in the paper & knowing nothing about it. Also because of the good reviews I read on here about it. Well I wish I hadn't. It is one of the darkest most disturbing films I've ever seen & has left me feeling horrible. Don't do it.

An excellent film of its time.

Beware : the original film was great but this DVD (from Lovefilm) is woefully in the wrong aspect ratio - like an old tv presentation, the credits start in widescreen (2.35:1) and then the rest of the film is shown "pan & scan" showing a 1:1.33 (old tv shape) full screen chunk of the original widescreen picture (about half of the original frame) . Sad.

Vaguely remembered this film, wanted my husband to see it. Very poor quality sound and picture!