# They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

> During the Depression, a desperate aspiring actress and a would-be director are consumed by a brutal dance marathon that turns human endurance into public entertainment.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/17133

## Facts

- Runtime: 120 min
- Genres: Drama
- Director: Sydney Pollack
- Cast: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Conrad, Bruce Dern
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065088/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: extreme
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Mood: bleak, harrowing, claustrophobic, serious movie night, classic cinema viewing

## Synopsis

In a desperate bid for hope, two souls dance on the edge of despair.

## Movies like They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

- [Downhill Racer (1969)](https://ember.film/movie/20755)
- [Midnight Cowboy (1969)](https://ember.film/movie/2065)
- [Fat City (1972)](https://ember.film/movie/10221)
- [The Electric Horseman (1979)](https://ember.film/movie/6166)
- [The Rose (1979)](https://ember.film/movie/9874)
- [The China Syndrome (1979)](https://ember.film/movie/819)
- [Zabriskie Point (1970)](https://ember.film/movie/1963)
- [New York, New York (1977)](https://ember.film/movie/7271)
- [A Woman Under the Influence (1974)](https://ember.film/movie/18449)
- [Comes a Horseman (1978)](https://ember.film/movie/27212)

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