Equus

film by Lumet [1977]

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July 21, 2026

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The film Equus, directed by Sidney Lumet in 1977, is an adaptation of Peter Shaffer's play. It explores the psychological relationship between a psychiatrist, Martin Dysart, and a disturbed 17-year-old stable boy, Alan Strang. Alan has been arrested for blinding six horses, an act stemming from a conflict between his father's agnosticism and his mother's religious devotion, leading him to worship horses as deities of religious and sexual power.12

The film delves into Dysart's fascination with Alan's intense, mythopoeic obsession and his own regrets about the potential loss of Alan's unique vitality through treatment. Lumet, known for his psychological dramas, elicited Oscar-nominated performances from Richard Burton as the psychiatrist and Peter Firth as Alan.21

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Sidney Lumet
The 1970s: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network
…these back-to-back hits, Lumet made Equus (1977), which Peter Shaffer adapted from his Broadway hit about a psychiatrist who is asked to treat a young man who is obsessed with horses. Some complained that the film literalized the play’s highly stylized symbolism, robbing the drama of much of its impact.…
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…these back-to-back hits, Lumet made Equus (1977), which Peter Shaffer adapted from his Broadway hit about a psychiatrist who is asked to treat a young man who is obsessed with horses. Some complained that the film literalized the play’s highly stylized symbolism, robbing the drama of much of its impact.…
Read More

Richard Burton
…he portrayed Henry VIII; and Equus (1977), based on a play by Peter Shaffer. Other notable films included John Huston’s The Night of the Iguana (1964), Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Wild Geese (1978), and 1984
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…he portrayed Henry VIII; and Equus (1977), based on a play by Peter Shaffer. Other notable films included John Huston’s The Night of the Iguana (1964), Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Wild Geese (1978), and 1984
Read More