Equus

Sidney Lumet's 1977 film Equus sticks perhaps too closely to the original script - which isn't to say that I've read it; merely, the film is sometimes too long-winded and seems to swing from an effort to maintain the feeling of a play (in the manner of speaking, for example), a convincingly "realistic" portrayal, and a uniquely cinematic interpretation of the text. The concluding slow-zoom into Richard Burton's face is quite a let-down after the drama of the preceding sequence. 

The word "pain" is repeated throughout; the pain Hesther sees in Alan's behavior, the emotional and corporeal (or both) experiences Alan has throughout, and the doctor's equation of pain with passion and the political meaning of "healing" this pain. A frustrating muddling. The word, concept, idea is troubling; Sontag and Scarry immediately jump to mind. The distinction ought to be maintained - the elements of choice and awareness and self-consciousness must be taken into account.