They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
I'll be honest with you: I'm not a movie person. I have trouble sitting still. I'm impatient. I'm constantly looking at the time, or picking up a book, or doing something else while the movie plays. So a movie that actually captures my attention is pretty rare. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is Sydney Pollack's 1969 film adaptation of the 1935 novel written by Horace McCoy. It takes place in the 1930s, during the American depression, when people were desperate and willing to do anything for money, such as marathon dancing. Marathon dancing was one of the seedier money-making schemes in the '30s, and that is vividly shown in the film: people would eat, sleep, and even die while in a state of constant movement. The film depicts all of this, as well as the concept of the "derby" - vicious high-paced races around the dance floor - in a stunning, grotesque manner. The film focuses on a varied group of people desperate to win the dance marath...