For anyone assuming that Marathon Man is a film about Dustin Hoffman training for a big race, guess again. The thriller offers something far more intense, combining elements you’d never think would go together. Directed by John Schlesinger, the film starts out as mundane as they come. Hoffman plays your run-of-the-mill innocent grad student, who, through no fault of his own, gets tangled in some nasty business. He finds himself entangled in a dangerous game with a sadistic Nazi war criminal-turned-dentist played by Laurence Olivier. Throw in Roy Scheider as Hoffman’s secret agent brother, and you’ve got the makings for a suspense-packed story.
Marathon Man leaves viewers uneasy, especially if they’ve got an aversion to dentists. It’s not just the catchy one-liners and stellar performances here, the score combined with Schlesinger’s ability to escalate tension make Marathon Man stand out in the thriller lineup of its time. With every passing scene, the stakes get higher and Olivier’s Szell turns into a terrifying reminder that some evils linger. Marathon Man proves to a whole new generation why it’s still one of the most gripping thrillers onscreen.
‘Marathon Man’s Nazi War Criminal Became an Symbol of Movie Terror
We’ve seen some intense villains onscreen through the ages, but most of them pale in comparison to Olivier’s Dr. Christian Szell. His overall performance goes down as one of the most chilling villains in film history. Szell was not just your run-of-the-mill bad guy, he is a Nazi war criminal whose weapon of choice was terrifying on multiple levels — a dentist’s drill. While that’s the stuff of nightmares for most people, it’s Olivier’s cool, calm, and collected vibe while wreaking havoc that truly sells the terror. He doesn’t yell to instill fear, or throw tantrums, instead, he asks seemingly reasonable questions such as, “Is it safe?” while inflicting unimaginable pain.
What really sells him as one of the most diabolical villains out there, is how realistic he feels. He represents one of the darkest chapters of history, and this is no secret to the audience as a whole. So, the fact that he’s a person who could’ve very well existed at the time adds layers to his methods of torture. What adds an extra layer of horror to the character is that he doesn’t just tap into his physicality to inflict violence; there’s this added air of psychological terror.
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As sinister as the character of Dr. Christian Szell was, tons of credit has to be given to the man who brought him to life onscreen. Laurence Olivier brought a certain subtlety to the character which is seen in elements like his posture and how he handles his dental tools. Even more, his choice to stay emotionally detached while simultaneously focusing on Szell’s outward appearance lent an air of terror. This was a calculated approach — with equal parts subtlety, detachment, and external transformation, he was able to portray a haunting onscreen villain.
‘Marathon Man’ Gives an Interesting Take on the Ordinary Guy Getting Caught in a Deadly Situation
From The Fugitive to others like Guns Akimbo, there’s no shortage of movies where the normal guy is forced to be the hero. That’s what Marathon Man does — it takes Hoffman’s character, Babe Levy, and uses him to give viewers a fresh take on the classic “ordinary guy becomes a hero” trope. He starts as a regular grad student, obsessed with mundane things like running marathons and getting his thesis done on time. Nothing sets him apart from the next guy, he doesn’t have any dormant combat skills, military background, or anything in between. In a nutshell, he’s as far off from an action hero as anyone could be. However, that’s probably what makes the film work so well — he’s set up as someone who’s beyond unprepared for what he’s about to encounter.
When his brother encounters a series of dangerous setbacks, Babe is practically flung into the world of international espionage. Unlike most narratives that have the lead actor adapting instantly to danger, it’s clear that Babe is drowning. He often comes off as frightened, confused, and clueless about the villain’s next step. Playing on his painfully obvious vulnerability is one of the many ways Marathon Man manages to keep tension at an all-time high, because here’s a guy who has no skills to fall back on.
What drives things home is the fact that Babe never completely “steps up to the plate” by transforming into this brave and confident hero. Instead, the film taps into his desperation and basic survival instincts to move things ahead. His is a more subtle transformation because he’s still as terrified at the end as he was in the beginning. But, something just clicks, and he realizes that he has no choice but to fight; keeping his journey is as captivating as it is relatable.
Marathon Man
After the shocking murder of his older brother, a New York history student finds himself inexplicably hounded by shadowy government agents on the trail of a Nazi war criminal who is trying to retrieve smuggled diamonds.
- Release Date
- October 8, 1976
- Director
- John Schlesinger
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
Marathon Man is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
WATCH ON PARAMOUNT+
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