They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Shot in sequence, and it shows. The pace sags at times—just as it would in a real-time dance marathon—but Fonda carves through, weary and razor-sharp, a bracing contrast to the vaudeville around her. She’s our anchor. We move in lockstep with her.

I watched this movie, years ago. One of the most depressing, but thought-provoking representations of the desperation of the Depression, and the lengths people were willing to go to, to get money just to survive! It is an incredible movie, but hard to get through, because you really feel for these people.

It might have resonated with those old enough to have lived through the depression, but hasn't aged well as modern audiences won't put much stock in it. The cinematography, sets, and costumes are all well done but it relies far too much on atmospherics with little of the characters' motivations explained. The only characters for whom I had any respect were the minor ones who got a few meals and a place to stay for a few days and had the good sense to move on. Bruce Dern's character torturing his pregnant partner was just too much; I was expecting a miscarriage as part of this sick plot line. It's two hours of absurdity, cruelty, and mental illness that seems to have little point besides the male lead reciting the title as the closing line. Fonda's character turns from determined to the ultimate quitter. It's New Hollywood but it's far from new anymore so give it a hard pass.

Movie is brutal and bleak, Staged so you feel the pain of the marathon dance contestants, You are there, in all its' sweaty claustrophobic realism as the couples dance for months, Residing in disgusting conditions and getting little sleep, The pain and exhaustion is forefront, especially during the grueling derby sequences. To the movie's credit, it goes all in on the cynicism angle, There is no let up. Stellar performances by all,

Although the dance marathon of the movie is a dated kind of activity, the characters, their interactions, their reactions, and the revelations of their lives stand the test of time.

This was the first movie that opened my eyes to human suffering in "modern industrialized societies", and started me on a life long path of fighting for human rights and pushing against corruption in the upper strata of society.

A Classic Drama. The acting is amazing and just gets better and better as the madness ramps up and the cracks show in everyones mental psyche. Everything else is really well done with my only complaint being it is a bit slow and probably could've sped things up to build tension a bit more franticly more consistently. IT's a very memorable setting and one of the most original ideas I've seen. The competition builds the tension slowly but this really isn't about that in a literal sense and much more of a character study on pride, fame, and ones own dignity and self respect and at what cost we are willing to degrade ourselves to acheive money and fame. This never really feels jumpy either going between all the different characters which is very impressive also. I will say as good as this is this isn't for everyone. Anyone who is a fan of Pollack, any actors in this, or Dark Dramas will like this a lot.

Surviving the 1933 crisis by joining an austere dance contest.

Timeless classic. The movie perfectly accomplishes what it set out to do. It's incredibly depressing, even nihilistic though.

In my top 10 since 1969....