Sydney Pollack would earn his first Oscar nomination in directing for this bleak adaptation of Horace McCoy's novel about various strangers who join up for a dance marathon contest during the Great Depression. Jane Fonda stars as Gloria who teams up with a young man played by Michael Sarrazin. As this grueling contest goes on, seeming forever, it's clear that those running the spectacle don't really care about the contestants and that what the dancers are supposedly striving for isn't worth all the pain and humiliation. I didn't think I'd like this one, being it's such a downer, but it really does dig under your skin and stay with you like thought provoking art should. Grade: A-
And another thing, two Red Button performances in a row. I didn't plan it, really. Yet I will say I think his work in this one is much more surprising.
No comments:
Post a Comment