They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Imagine a society where, with the exception of a small ruling class, the citizens are poor and miserable. A society on the verge of collapse, where some desperate people accept humiliation in order to survive, and others are willing to exploit their despair. Okay, I know—unheard-of things, science fiction—but this is the setting of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) by Sydney Pollack, the best film I’ll never watch again.

The movie takes place in 1932, almost entirely inside a hall where a dance marathon is being held. Several dozen couples dance non-stop with a ten-minute break every two hours, and whoever is left standing at the end will win the not insignificant—at the time—prize of $1500. Our protagonist, Gloria, flawlessly portrayed by the goddess Jane Fonda, is just another bitter and disillusioned soul among many, who doesn’t even dare hope for anything—she just participates in this contest, hoping to escape the depths of absolute poverty.

The direction and editing are unique, with flash-forward scenes interwoven, foreshadowing the ending—a finale I personally didn’t want to believe, even though it seemed inevitable. The atmosphere throughout the film is so claustrophobic that you feel more like you're watching a psychological thriller than a period drama.

The parallels with today are, unfortunately, obvious. What is our life in late-stage capitalism if not an endless race for survival in a world without justice? The audience in the film claps, laughs, has fun watching people suffer. Aren’t we doing the same? Don’t we watch people being humiliated in reality shows or suffering, as if they were just entertainment? They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a cry for the human being who struggles mercilessly for a shred of hope. And at the same time, it’s an accusation against the world that forces him to live this way.