Equus
Director: Sidney Lumet
Year Released: 1977
Rating: 2.5
As far as famous examples of theatrical Freudian psychobabble are concerned, you could probably do worse than this famous Peter Shaffer play about a psychiatrist (Richard Burton) trying to solve the mystery of a neurotic stable boy (Peter Firth) who blinded six horses after a failed tryst with a young girl (Jenny Agutter, cute as hell). Burton sees in the lad a passion he can't find in his own life, while the boy's head is a mish-mash of Jesus, sadomasochism and Mr. Ed., with the confusion coming (in part) from his two repressive parents (Mom being super-religious and Dad being opposed to religion). Burton's devotion really drives this - it's as feverish a performance as I've seen him give (which is saying quite a bit) - though Lumet's directorial embellishments can be obtrusive at times.
