At first, I feared that John Schlesinger's Marathon Man would lose me with its labyrinthine plot concerning secret agents, Nazi doctors, and stolen diamonds. For the first half hour, I was so confused about what was going on that I felt that I would have to appreciate it solely for its craftsmanship, tone, and atmosphere, much like Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946). But then the plot began to fall into place and I found myself absolutely mesmerized by this terrific thriller. I loved the film's pacing, red herrings, and performances by Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier. The infamous "Is it safe?" interrogation was particularly brutal. I haven't squirmed in my seat like that in a long time. It just confirms my theory that when it comes to unnerving an audience, less is more. Also, I enjoyed how this film had the guts to truly punish its lead villain instead of abruptly killing him off at the end. I know that statement might make me seem like a sociopath...but I don't care. Too many despicable villains don't get their true comeuppances these days. But I'm rambling now. Marathon Man is easily one of the best thrillers of the 70s. It may start off a bit murky, but it leaves you more than satisfied at the end.
9/10
I have only seen half of it but I'm loving it because of the brillant screenwriter, William Goldman. Mainly because it's just unsettling and scary as heck while being confusing as heck. By the way, he created another terrific thriller with another terrific villain on par with that creepy dentist. That was Misery ('90). Note to paranoids: Stay away from dentists and nurses after watching these thrillers. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, y'know, Nazis...
Delete