Review of Equus (1977) by Anna B — 08 Sep 2013

A deeply disturbing story, adapted from a play by Peter Schaffer by Schaffer himself, full of complex and painful revelations about the psychology of worship and how the natural instinct towards cosmically-scoped praise is suppressed by stubbornly incredulous propriety, insensitive to the deeper human crevices where the craving of supplication is a sacred determination.

Richard Burton and Peter Firth offer performances indescribable in their naturalism and psychological depth. Lumet brings these elements together like a heady detective yarn, the answers tantalizingly out of reach though begging to be caught.

I must agree with Roger Ebert, however, and say that the material probably works infinitely better on stage than on film. Nevertheless, I admired the attempt.