Thirty years after its original release, 'Marathon Man' is still a full-fledged icon of the political thriller genre, helped largely by its strong human element and the clear artistic vision of John Schlesinger. The film would probably have drawn more Academy Award nominations had it not premiered in 1976, when the cinema world was overstocked with titles like 'Rocky,' 'Network,' 'All The President's Men,' and 'Taxi Driver.' As it turned out, just Laurence Olivier was nominated for his supporting role as the dreaded Christian Szell; but 'Marathon Man' distinguished itself from most espionage films of the late 1970s and boasts a major following today.
John Schlesinger, best known for his Oscar-winning direction of 'Midnight Cowboy,' showed great versatility during the 70s by piecing together Nathaniel West's novel 'The Day of the Locust,' 'Marathon Man,' and 'Yanks.' Political intrigue is another topic in which Schlesinger looks right at home, as 'Marathon Man' boasts strong characters, intense situations, and high craftsmanship. While not a perfect film, 'Marathon Man' is forceful enough to stay in one's mind and has earned its place on the world movie timeline.
Dustin Hoffman leads Marathon Man's superb cast as Thomas Levy, a Columbia graduate student whose father committed suicide while on thin political ice during the McCarthy era. Still haunted by his father's death, Thomas (known as 'Babe' amongst friends) devotes himself to researching this past and looks to overcome boundaries as a Central Park marathon runner. He is eventually pulled into a web of deceit when his older brother Henry (Roy Scheider) is murdered by Christian Szell (Olivier), a former Nazi dentist who escaped from the Second World War to Uruguay. Henry was employed by 'The Division,' an ultra-secret U.S. bureau operating farther underground than the CIA. 'The Division' had previous dealings with Szell in which information on Nazi fugitives was traded for his amnesty. It is when Szell visits New York to reclaim family diamonds and a European woman named Elsa Opel (Marthe Keller) enters Babe's life that he must overcome a hatred of violence to defend his race.
'Marathon Man' is a film steeped in torture and outraged audiences with its 'dental' scene thirty years ago. William Goldman's screenplay (from his own novel) puts an interesting bend on espionage, stressing character development rather than plot. Combined with John Schlesinger's direction, 'Marathon Man' gives us loads more than the average, wafer-thin characters we normally expect from a political thriller. Hoffman is once again excellent in his lead role, perhaps empathizing strongly with the Jewish character he plays. Laurence Olivier is flawless as the tight-lipped, homicidal Szell who will stop at nothing to inherit his diamonds and cash. Roy Scheider and William Devane (as Commander Peter Janeway) are suitably rugged, while Marthe Keller gives an impressive performance despite knowing little to no English before the film's production.
Unfortunately, a character-driven story is bound to have clichés and plot gaps, which hurts this film to a significant degree. The scenario of Jewish characters fighting Nazis has been used numerous times before, as well as the femme fatale being in love with the man she's targeting. Marathon Man's storyline is also kicked along by conveniences such as a woman who just happens to realize that Szell is walking through the New York City jewelry district and a water plant engineer who apparently never calls the police after finding Thomas with Szell at gunpoint (!). Indeed, the plot of 'Marathon Man' leaves something to be desired, but the film is redeemed by its excellent acting.
The technical work of 'Marathon Man' is also flawless, with vivid cinematography by Conrad Hall ('In Cold Blood,' 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid') and editing by Schlesinger favorite Jim Clark. The score by Michael Small contains electronics, which gives this film an icy edge. 'Marathon Man' uses striking locations in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, all filmed in Schlesinger's engaging but unobtrusive style. The high degree of professionalism by cast and crew is more than worth the price of admission.
'Marathon Man' is available on DVD from Paramount Pictures. It is offered in widescreen with a choice of English 5.1 surround audio or the restored mono track; French 'dubbing' and English subtitles are also provided. The recent Paramount disc has superb visuals with few artifacts and no grain. Mono, however, seems a better audio choice, as the enhanced 5.1 surround places too much emphasis on backdrop and muffles dialogue. Paramount has supplied interesting extras with a 'making of' segment from the time of its release, a short cast and crew interview program, the theatrical trailer, and rehearsal footage. While somewhat flawed, 'Marathon Man' is nevertheless a guidepost of 1970s film history and a must-watch for espionage fans.
*** out of 4
John Schlesinger, best known for his Oscar-winning direction of 'Midnight Cowboy,' showed great versatility during the 70s by piecing together Nathaniel West's novel 'The Day of the Locust,' 'Marathon Man,' and 'Yanks.' Political intrigue is another topic in which Schlesinger looks right at home, as 'Marathon Man' boasts strong characters, intense situations, and high craftsmanship. While not a perfect film, 'Marathon Man' is forceful enough to stay in one's mind and has earned its place on the world movie timeline.
Dustin Hoffman leads Marathon Man's superb cast as Thomas Levy, a Columbia graduate student whose father committed suicide while on thin political ice during the McCarthy era. Still haunted by his father's death, Thomas (known as 'Babe' amongst friends) devotes himself to researching this past and looks to overcome boundaries as a Central Park marathon runner. He is eventually pulled into a web of deceit when his older brother Henry (Roy Scheider) is murdered by Christian Szell (Olivier), a former Nazi dentist who escaped from the Second World War to Uruguay. Henry was employed by 'The Division,' an ultra-secret U.S. bureau operating farther underground than the CIA. 'The Division' had previous dealings with Szell in which information on Nazi fugitives was traded for his amnesty. It is when Szell visits New York to reclaim family diamonds and a European woman named Elsa Opel (Marthe Keller) enters Babe's life that he must overcome a hatred of violence to defend his race.
'Marathon Man' is a film steeped in torture and outraged audiences with its 'dental' scene thirty years ago. William Goldman's screenplay (from his own novel) puts an interesting bend on espionage, stressing character development rather than plot. Combined with John Schlesinger's direction, 'Marathon Man' gives us loads more than the average, wafer-thin characters we normally expect from a political thriller. Hoffman is once again excellent in his lead role, perhaps empathizing strongly with the Jewish character he plays. Laurence Olivier is flawless as the tight-lipped, homicidal Szell who will stop at nothing to inherit his diamonds and cash. Roy Scheider and William Devane (as Commander Peter Janeway) are suitably rugged, while Marthe Keller gives an impressive performance despite knowing little to no English before the film's production.
Unfortunately, a character-driven story is bound to have clichés and plot gaps, which hurts this film to a significant degree. The scenario of Jewish characters fighting Nazis has been used numerous times before, as well as the femme fatale being in love with the man she's targeting. Marathon Man's storyline is also kicked along by conveniences such as a woman who just happens to realize that Szell is walking through the New York City jewelry district and a water plant engineer who apparently never calls the police after finding Thomas with Szell at gunpoint (!). Indeed, the plot of 'Marathon Man' leaves something to be desired, but the film is redeemed by its excellent acting.
The technical work of 'Marathon Man' is also flawless, with vivid cinematography by Conrad Hall ('In Cold Blood,' 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid') and editing by Schlesinger favorite Jim Clark. The score by Michael Small contains electronics, which gives this film an icy edge. 'Marathon Man' uses striking locations in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, all filmed in Schlesinger's engaging but unobtrusive style. The high degree of professionalism by cast and crew is more than worth the price of admission.
'Marathon Man' is available on DVD from Paramount Pictures. It is offered in widescreen with a choice of English 5.1 surround audio or the restored mono track; French 'dubbing' and English subtitles are also provided. The recent Paramount disc has superb visuals with few artifacts and no grain. Mono, however, seems a better audio choice, as the enhanced 5.1 surround places too much emphasis on backdrop and muffles dialogue. Paramount has supplied interesting extras with a 'making of' segment from the time of its release, a short cast and crew interview program, the theatrical trailer, and rehearsal footage. While somewhat flawed, 'Marathon Man' is nevertheless a guidepost of 1970s film history and a must-watch for espionage fans.
*** out of 4