Equus Movie

Equus
Rating:
Run Time: 137 min
MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1977
Directors: Sidney Lumet
Genre/Type: Drama
Psychological Drama
Producers: Elliott Kastner
Lester Persky
Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Richard Burton plays a psychiatrist who attempts to discover why young Peter Firth has taken to mutilating live horses. In probing Firth's psyche, Burton discovers that the source of the boy's obsession is his mother, Joan Plowright, who has raised Firth with a convoluted set of values. Even as he gets closer to the reason behind Firth's horrendous acts, Burton discovers many previously locked-away secrets within himself. Equus was based on the play by Peter Schaffer who received an Academy Award Nomination for his adapted screenplay.

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Character names in the play Equus.Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Joan Plowright, Harry Andrews, Eileen Atkins,ChaCha.
Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer. It's a psychological drama about a psychiatrist treating a boy with a sexual obsession with horses - he pokes their eyes out and all sorts of weird stuff. Because of the sexual nature and nudity required on...
You can order them from us, the North American distributor, StrideEquus, or purchase them from one of our outstanding Representatives. We have several Representatives across the country.
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Cast

Actors Character Born
Richard Burton Dr. Martin Dysart Nov 10, 1925 in Pontrhydyfen, South Wales, UK
Peter Firth Alan Strang Oct 27, 1953 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK
Colin Blakely Frank Strang Sep 23, 1930 in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
Joan Plowright Dora Strang Oct 28, 1929 in Brigg, England
Harry Andrews Harry Dalton
Eileen Atkins Hesther Saloman Jun 16, 1934 in London, England
Jenny Agutter Jill Mason Dec 20, 1952 in Taunton, Devonshire, England
John Wyman The Horseman
Kate Reid Margaret Dysart Nov 4, 1930 in London, England, UK
Sheldon Rybowski First Child
Patrick Brymer Patient
James Hurdle Mr. Davies
Ken James Mr. Pearce
Karen Pearson Mary
David Gardner Dr. Bennett
Elva Mai Hoover Miss Raintree
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Back to the topReview

Review by Perry Seibert
In Sidney Lumet's cinematic adaptation of Peter Shaffer's psychological drama Equus, Richard Burton must portray a psychiatrist who has lost faith in himself. He is a hollowed-out man in a stultifying marriage who no longer believes that his work with severely troubled teenagers does any good whatsoever. He is savvy enough to understand what is happening to him, but is still unable to rouse himself out of his malaise. Burton inhabits this character with such sadness and such self-directed anger that it is easy to see why many people consider this his last great performance. Shaffer's screenplay allows Burton to have a handful of very showy monologues presented by Lumet directly into the camera and a series of more subtle exchanges with the troubled young man played by Peter Firth. Burton's face, which was showing the effects of years of heavy alcohol use, looks heavy and it gives the performance a gravitas that dominates the drama -- so much so that it is easy to forget about Firth's patient when he is offscreen. More than most directors, Lumet has a knack for bringing stage material to the screen. He respects the theatrical aspects of the piece, while still making it cinematic. His skills do not fail him here. In an opening flash-forward, Lumet allows the audience to see how distraught Burton's character will become before he reveals the patient. And the horses are gloriously photographed, as if the audience is allowed to see them as Firth's character does. Equus is an accomplished piece of no-frills filmmaking, elevated by an outstanding lead performance.

Equus on TV

Zip Code: 10010 · Provider: Verizon Fios Freehold NY Plus-Digital (Jersey City) Edit
Dec 1 , 12:05 AM ET · Equus  · Channel 744 · MGMHD · Duration: 155 min.
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