Marathon Man

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver, Richard Bright
Directed by: John Schlesinger
Rating: R
Genre: Thriller
1976

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A graduate student (Dustin Hoffman) gets mixed up in an international conspiracy involving his spy brother (Roy Scheider), a former NAZI interrogator (Laurence Olivier), and stolen diamonds.

Review:

Tim: Marathon Man is an exceptionally crafted thriller, a very good movie that features some of the most intense, thrilling scenes you'll see. It is generally regarded as one of the great thrillers of the 1970s and perhaps of all time. While I was extremely entertained and engaged throughout, I'd probably consider this one tier down from true greatness. Still, there's a lot to like here and this is a movie you absolutely need to see.

One aspect of this film that struck me as noteworthy is how different it is to the thrillers of today. In contemporary Hollywood, the idea seems to be to start the intense thrills early and carry it throughout the movie. Marathon Man takes a very different approach- the first hour is almost all character development. It doesn't feel like a thriller at all. We get to know Babe- he's training for a marathon and is an avid runner. He has father issues, he's a grad student, kids in the neighborhood think he's creepy. We watch him meet and woo a pretty foreign student. The first hour of the movie is admittedly a little slow, but it's essential for us to understand the characters. It's almost like the first hour is director John Schlesinger's way of establishing all the chess pieces on the board. So, during the second hour, we have a good understanding of each of the pieces and can watch as they begin to move about the board. I doubt a movie like this would get made today. The approach of character development first was much appreciated. The only real downside to this was for most of the movie, I really had no idea what was going on. I enjoy being kept in the dark for a big reveal later, but it took a bit too long to establish what this movie was really about.

Anyway, once the movie hits its stride, things really move. There's some incredibly tense scenes. I love the way Hoffman's torture scene was portrayed- by today's standards, you'd probably shrug your shoulders at this. You don't see a lot of blood or anguish. And yet, the way it's shot, the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, it becomes this intense, unforgettable, thrilling scenes that kind of makes you queasy in the stomach. It felt gritty and realistic, and it's certainly a highlight of the movie. It also features one of the best lines of the film- "Is it safe?" It's amazing how such an innocuous line can become so chilling. There's several other great sequences- the scenes of Hoffman running from his captors is extremely intense. The scene at the farmhouse is simple but incredibly effective. This movie definitely has a number of exceptionally strong sequences.

Now, I will say that I didn't love the ending of the movie. While it's gratifying and memorable, it felt a little easy to me. I wanted to see more, to see Hoffman struggle more, to feel those overwhelming odds. The ending was fine, but it wasn't exceptional and it's a big reason I would consider this a very good but not great film.

Now, Dustin Hoffman is extremely good as Babe. He delivers this relatable, everyman performance. Babe might not be a character you thoroughly like- I actually didn't care that much about him- but he is a character you can identify with. He's seen some troubles in his life. He's a bit of a loner, a little creepy sometimes. And yet, for all his flaws, he seems like a good guy. I loved how Hoffman played him- trying to make him a realistic character, not trying to get the audience to love him. Laurence Olivier is chilling in his Academy Award nominated role (for Best Supporting Actor). Now, while I loved the few scenes in which he truly shined, I don't think he belongs in the top echelon of movie villains. The ending is a big reason for this. Still, he delivers a strong performance, no doubt. I also liked seeing Roy Scheider here. I've always been a big Scheider fan and he provides a strong supporting turn here. I wasn't a big fan of Marthe Keller- she seemed too wooden to me. I just didn't buy her performance.

So, while I do have a couple of complaints, Marathon Man is still an entertaining, thrilling movie. It's a great reminder that not all movies need to be alike and sometimes the best films do things a little differently. This is a movie that is well worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Three Days of the Condor, All the President's Men