Marathon Man
MARATHON MAN (18)
D: John Schlesinger
Paramount (Robert Evans & Sidney
Beckerman)
US 1976
125 mins
Thriller
W: William Goldman [based on his
novel]
DP: Conrad L. Hall
Ed: Jim Clark
Mus: Michael Small
Dustin Hoffman (Babe Levy), Laurence
Olivier (Szell), Roy Scheider (Doc Levy), William Devane (Janeway), Marthe Keller (Elsa), Fritz Weaver (Prof. Biesenthal), Marc Lawrence (Erhard)
Not a biopic about an Olympic champion that the title
might suggest, but a gripping thriller with more nerve-jangling scenes than most of the modern day offerings.
A Nazi war profiteer returns to America from Uruguay in
search for stolen diamonds which were in the possession of his (now dead) brother. He turns his attentions to those who he believe have clues to where they are hidden, an American agent and
his younger brother, a long distance runner.
Dustin Hoffman, Roy Scheider & Marthe Keller are all
very good, but the movie is remembered mostly for Laurence Olivier's crazed performance, the embodiment of sheer evil as Dr. Szell.
The dentistry torture scene is an iconic scene of motion
picture history and worth watching the film for alone.
8/10
