Marathon Man (1976)
Marathon Man (1976), directed by John Schlesinger.
In the early scenes we have three episodes of conflict that demonstrate how much we love fighting:
Two old men -- nazi and Jew -- racing their cars through a Jewish neighborhood in New York. Both love it, until the final fiery moment.
Babe in a not very friendly race with another runner.
Doc living an almost Bond-like agent's life in Paris, escaping several sudden assassins.
I remember watching this on video with a friend who had a serious dental phobia (and I sympathize, I really do). He yelled narration to his wife in the next room: "Honey, they've brought out the Black & Decker!" When Babe gets a gun: "Just shoot them! Shoot everyone!"
Laurence Olivier and Roy Scheider are fine in their parts. I have no complaints about Dustin Hoffman, other than he seems to have only "wrapped too tight" and "frustrated screaming".
How do you escape dental-torturing nazis? Cardio!
How do you get rid of a villain like Szell? The action ending we have seems like a gimmick and is a rewrite of the original story.
Babe shoots the bad guys with the gun his father used to commit suicide. Does that restore the family honor? It's not worked out.
Novel and screenplay by William Goldman. Soundtrack by Michael Small, who specialized in thrillers.
Available on Blu-ray.
