"Only horses are given the coup de grâce" 2.0 (Trump Era Edition)
Sydney Pollack's film THEY SHOOT HORSES, DONT THEY? (1969) was set during the Great Depression in 1932 and featured Jane FONDA and Michael SARRAZIN taking part in a dance marathon. In 2019, 20 people hold their hands on a truck - until they drop! Some things never seem to change. Class society relentlessly divides the haves and the have-nots.
The whole thing takes place in Louisiana. The focus is on the young father Kyle (Joe COLE), who lives on a subsistence level with his wife (Callie HERNANDEZ) and son. The idea for the competition comes from car dealership employee Joan (Carrie PRESTON), but she also has her strange sides. There is a twist that you don't expect and that won't be revealed here. What's on offer is a frightening insight into American society, well acted and well made. Why the German director Bastian GÜNTHER cannot find any comparable grievances in German-speaking countries remains his secret. The film will certainly not find an enthusiastic cinema audience in America itself.
Good film, but it can also be depressing. So far, the film, which was shown in the PANORAMA section at the BERLINALE 2020, has only grossed USD 5,000 worldwide in the box office (source: The NUMBERS). There should be more to come!
