Equus

Sidney Lumet turns Peter Shaffer's strangest play into an equally strange movie. The worst that can be said of Equus (1977) is that the film never quite transcends its stage roots. Regardless, it remains a disturbing psychodrama with a superb cast.

Psychologist Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) is assigned to treat Alan Strang (Peter Firth), a 17 year old boy who mutilated a stable full of horses. Dysart discovers Alan has an odd, sexualized fixation on horses, stemming from several childhood incidents, his mother's (Joan Plowright) strict religious upbringing and his dad's (Colin Blakely) disapproval. As Dysart dives deeper into Alan's case he finds himself tormented by, even envious of, his charge's psychosis.

Equus is a difficult play, from its dark subject to dramatic complexity. Shaffer succeeds in his delicate portrait of the troubled Alan. Conflating childhood experiences of horses with his mother's Puritan religiosity, he re-channels his sexuality into equine idol worship. Alan goes beyond paraphilia, crafting a religion to his obsession, replete with extensive liturgy and rites. Where a portrait of Jesus once hung in his room now hangs an eternally-staring horse. When Alan meets Jill (Jenny Agutter), a flirty stable girl, the religious and sexual further mesh.

Shaffer contrasts Alan's warped theology with the repressed adults around him: Dysart, a childless self-loather who detests his work; Dora, a repressive religious fanatic; Frank, a disgruntled atheist who sheepishly sneaks into porn films. Dysart particularly seems to envy Alan's passion, viewing his psychosis as a sort of transcendence. Shafer makes all of these characters are believably rounded, making their various neuroses potent.

One minor niggle is Sidney Lumet's direction. Lumet retains much of the play's theatricality, especially Dysart's monologues directly to the camera. He stages key set pieces dynamically, especially Alan's nighttime ride and the horrible denouement, but it still doesn't feel very cinematic. However, this viewer found the story and performances powerful enough to overcome its technical shortcomings.

Richard Burton gives his best late-career performance, channeling his hamminess into a believably tormented character. Peter Firth gives a phenomenal turn, effectively warping youthful confusion into mental illness. Colin Blakeley (A Man for All Seasons) and Joan Plowright give sterling turns as Alan's harried parents, and Jenny Agutter (The Avengers) makes a strong impression. Harry Andrews (Charge of the Light Brigade) and Eileen Atkins (Gosford Park) inhabit supporting roles.

Equus is a fascinating film. I give it minor demerits for its stuffy staging, but its baroque story and powerful performances still shine through.