They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is an amazing movie about a group of desperate people who take part in an inhuman, physically and mentally crushing marathon. It's a compelling, devastating movie made all the more powerful by Sydney Pollack's claustrophobic direction that is particularly remarkable in the "Derby" scenes. The screenplay is fantastic and there is not a single weak link in the cast: I know some people don't care for Michael Sarrazin's lead performance but I think his approach works perfectly for the role he is playing. I also can understand the complaints about the ending being heavy-handed but I personally find it terrific.
Susannah York plays Alice, one of the contestants. In the first few scenes, York naturally stands out because of the nature of the character itself: while all the other characters are tired and defeated, she appears as a glamorous, refined woman who introduces herself as an actress, even performing a monologue from Saint Joan. York's acting feels a bit forced in those first scenes but this is entirely intentional and it works incredibly well for the character - first off, she never becomes annoying or unbearable as she could have easily been and within her over-the-top delivery she shows perfectly how slight Alice's façade is. She never makes her character's naive ambitions something to laugh at and she manages to make the viewer feel sorry for her as right from the beginning it's clear just how clueless Alice is about the whole situation. Her performance works particularly well as a counterpart to Jane Fonda's turn as the lead Gloria Beatty: Gloria is a disillusioned, embittered woman who gave up her wishes long ago and now just moves through life with the sole purpose of surviving; Alice, instead, is a woman has not yet gave up dreaming which probably makes her the most fragile character of the whole bunch of contestants.
As the movie progresses, Alice goes through a lot of distressing situations and York does a brilliant job at deconstructing her classy façade. The first moment in which York reveals the cracks in Alice's appearence is during a brief break from the marathon when she finds out her make-up and the dress her mother made for her has been stolen: York is excellent at portraying Alice's outburst and she shows wonderfully the nervous, hysterical wreck she is behind the artifice of her usual appearence. The shot of her standing alone, quietly begging "Please wait" as no one helps her is one of the most heartbreaking moments of the whole movie. Another great moment in her performance comes when Alice, during another break, attempts to seduce Robert (Michael Sarrazin): it's a very powerful scene thanks to York's excellent acting as she shows how desperate Alice deep down is. With her whispering, trembling voice and the way she constantly clings to Sarrazin's body, York conveys brilliantly Alice's neediness and longing for any sort of connection whatsoever and it's deeply upsetting to see her portrayal because of how raw and realistic it is. Past her big scenes, York is technically relegated to the background but she never wastes any single moment in her portrayal: she uses every moment to create a compelling, vivid and realistic depiction of her character's physical and mental decay making Alice's extreme character arc feel completely believable and utterly terrifying to witness.
The most famous moment of her performance is her final scene, after Alice witnesses the death of her partner during a "Derby": this proves to be the last straw for Alice's mental state and the other contestants find her showering fully dressed during the break. The first I saw the scene I was surprised by how quiet it was and maybe I was even a little disappointed, but this time I found it nothing short of groundbreaking: she made the wisest choice of underplaying her character's insanity and her haunting eyes alone convey much more than a bunch of hysterics. It's a truly devastating moment because York is uncompromising in her portrayal of her character at her lowest state and with her ghostly appearence, lifeless stare and feeble line-delivery she perfectly portrays Alice as an empty shell of what she used to be before. It's a killer scene and it's not hard to see why it's so iconic.
This is a brilliant supporting performance from York who is part of what makes They Shoot Horses, Don't They? such an unforgettable experience. She does a magnificent job at portraying her character's slowly descent into insanity and her final scene is one for the ages. It's an outstanding performance because she leaves a truly haunting and lasting impression despite not being given that much focus and it's one that completely earns its reputation.
5/5
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