Rent Marathon Man (1976)

A bit of a shame, but understood - - Marathon Man review by AS

It must have been sad for the great Schlesinger to have to go so ‘mainstream’ after his previous works, however it was a commercially sensible decision to make. I don’t understand why he didn’t use his renewed reputation and resources to make better films in the future. Shame.

Drilling Down - Marathon Man review by Steve

This gets overlooked now as a 1970s conspiracy thriller, even though it was a huge box office smash at the time- adapted by William Goldman from his own bestseller. There was topicality in the story of an ex-Gestapo doctor in New York, as this was the era of the Nazi hunters. There are also reflections on the legacy of McCarthyism.

But now it has lost any contemporary gloss, this can at times feel like hard work. It takes a good hour to get its pieces into place; the twisty plot has more holes than a string vest and labours under considerable padding. At 38 Dustin Hoffman is far too old to play an undergraduate and certainly doesn't convince as a marathon runner!

He doesn't even seem all that bright though he's supposed to be as smart as a whip... Still, there are compensations. Laurence Olivier brings that steely edge, which he could never quite conceal. He's the former Nazi medic chasing down some diamonds he stowed away in the concentration camps. Which have gone missing in transit.

And Hoffman is the wrong man who is caught up in the intrigue. It comes alive in the second hour, particularly with the infamous/legendary dentist chair torture scene. Director John Schlesinger adds some context with an impression of the US in crisis, which feels topical again. But this is mainly worth seeing for Olivier asking if it's safe.