They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969)

Introduction

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a harrowing and haunting film set against the backdrop of a Depression-era dance marathon—a bizarre endurance contest that serves as both a literal and metaphorical crucible for human suffering. Directed by Sydney Pollack with clinical precision and emotional force, the film is a bleak examination of desperation, exploitation, and the death of the American Dream. Released in 1969 during a period of social unrest and disillusionment in the U.S., the film resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike, and it remains one of the most potent anti-glamour statements in American cinema.

Based on Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel, the story translates remarkably well to the screen thanks to a sharp, incisive script, masterful direction, and one of Jane Fonda’s greatest performances. It’s a devastating allegory about what people will endure for survival—and what happens when hope is a commodity sold to the highest bidder.

Plot Summary

Set in Southern California during the Great Depression, the film follows a group of down-and-out individuals who enter a gruelling dance marathon in hopes of winning $1,500. Contestants are required to dance (or shuffle) nearly non-stop for weeks on end, pausing only for short rest breaks and occasional “derby” competitions that test their endurance even further.

At the centre is Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a cynical, world-weary woman who sees the marathon as her last chance at a break—even if she knows it’s a rigged game. She is reluctantly paired with Robert (Michael Sarrazin), a young man with nowhere to go. As the event drags on, contestants begin to break down physically and mentally. Tragedy unfolds with brutal inevitability under the slick showmanship of Rocky (Gig Young), the unscrupulous emcee who manipulates both the audience and the dancers for maximum drama.

As the dancers are degraded and humiliated for public spectacle, the line between entertainment and cruelty disappears. The film builds toward a grim and unforgettable finale that crystallizes its central message.

Performances

Jane Fonda, in what many consider her breakthrough dramatic role, is electrifying as Gloria Beatty. Bitter, defiant, and emotionally armoured, Fonda’s Gloria is both a victim and an astute observer of the hopelessness around her. Her delivery of the now-famous line “They shoot horses, don’t they?” is devastating in its simplicity and surrender. This performance earned her the first of many Oscar nominations and cemented her place as one of the leading actors of her generation.

Michael Sarrazin, as the passive and sensitive Robert, offers a quiet counterbalance to Gloria’s hard edge. His performance is understated, but crucial: a mirror of innocence slowly corrupted by the brutality of the world he’s stumbled into.

Gig Young, in the role of the manipulative emcee Rocky, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He’s both showman and puppet master, treating human suffering as entertainment with chilling indifference. His upbeat announcements and catchphrases (“Yowza! Yowza! Yowza!”) underscore the cruelty of the spectacle.

Susannah York, as the emotionally fragile Alice, delivers a heart-wrenching performance that reflects the cost of false hope and shattered dreams. Her descent into madness is one of the film’s most tragic arcs.

Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, and Bruce Dern all contribute strong performances as fellow dancers with their own personal heartbreaks and motivations, further populating this nightmarish microcosm of society.

Direction and Style

Sydney Pollack directs the film with a clinical detachment that emphasizes the emotional and physical degradation of the characters. The marathon setting—a single, claustrophobic dance floor—becomes a pressure cooker of pain and futility. Pollack’s camera work is fluid but unflinching, capturing the exhaustion, horror, and absurdity of the competition.

The editing (by Fredric Steinkamp) is exceptional, using flash-forwards to ominous courtroom scenes that foreshadow the film’s tragic end. This nonlinear structure creates a sense of fatalism and doom from the outset, tightening the emotional noose as the story unfolds.

The cinematography by Philip H. Lathrop presents the dance hall in alternating tones of glamour and decay. The glitzy lights and upbeat music only serve to highlight the grotesque nature of the proceedings. The constant contrast between the staged smiles and the dancers’ suffering is among the film’s most effective visual strategies.

Themes

Desperation and Exploitation: The film captures the soul-crushing realities of the Great Depression, where people are willing to endure dehumanizing circumstances for a sliver of hope—or a handful of dollars.

Entertainment as Sadism: The dance marathon is depicted as a cruel spectacle where the suffering of the contestants is turned into a form of mass entertainment. This is a stinging indictment of both the media and the audience complicit in such degradation.

The Death of the American Dream: The characters are strivers and dreamers crushed by economic collapse. Their hopes—stardom, escape, romance—are ruthlessly dismantled.

Alienation and Existential Despair: Gloria’s nihilism is not just a personality trait; it’s the natural product of a world where life feels cheap and meaningless. The film’s final act echoes themes of existential surrender.

Survival as Performance: The dancers are forced to keep performing—smiling, entertaining, suffering—because collapse means elimination. It’s not just a contest of endurance, but a contest of illusion.

Cultural and Historical Significance

Released in 1969, the film found a disillusioned audience during the Vietnam War era, when many Americans were questioning the institutions and values they had once trusted. Though set in the 1930s, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? had immediate resonance in an era of civil unrest, systemic failure, and generational despair.

The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving nine Academy Award nominations (including Best Director, Actress, Screenplay, Supporting Actress, and more), though it did not win Best Picture or Best Director. Still, its reputation has only grown over time, and it is now considered a masterpiece of American cinema.

It is also notable as one of the earliest American films to be included in film studies curricula due to its rich thematic depth, innovative structure, and critique of capitalism and media.

Final Verdict

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a bleak, uncompromising, and brilliantly crafted film that remains as emotionally bruising today as it was over five decades ago. Sydney Pollack’s direction is taut and immersive, the performances are uniformly superb, and the narrative’s slow descent into emotional oblivion is both hypnotic and horrifying. It’s a film that does not flinch from showing how easily people can be reduced to commodities in the pursuit of profit and spectacle.

A haunting, unforgettable vision of human despair that stands among the greatest American films of the 20th century.