The constant gut tightening tension in this movie and of course the dental scenes makes this thriller a rare occasional revisit even knowing the final outcome. I can recall only one other time in the theater of unending tension watching a movie and that was the first time seeing the original "Alien" in a movie house filled with an audience undergoing the same fear of what's going to happen next.

I remember watching Marathon Man as a kid way (way) back in the late 70's. The Nazi-Dentist torture scene stuck with me for a long time - I was 7 or 8 back then. And you're right again, Night Moves (1975) is another fucking great movie.

Dustin Hoffman character screaming in pain is so real It goes right through you. The 70's were Hollywood's 2nd Golden Age.

I saw this film fairly recently. I agree with you about the supporting cast. William Devane is a great character actor. He did a cult classic called Rolling Thunder. I’m not sure if you have covered it yet, but it’s very much up your alley. The soundtrack in this film is phenomenal. It’s a weird mix of eerie, relaxing, and empowering. Marathon Man stayed with me and the ending is perfect. The villain chose wealth and power as his greatest good, even over his own life! The author wrote a sequel or two. The brother survives, I think. But I suspect this book and film adaptation was lightning in a bottle!

I've got nothing to add on this one, it's simply a stone freaking classic. Love your take as always.

Recently bought Straight Time with Dustin Hoffman and Drowning Pool with Paul Newman and Melanie Griffiths, I think made just after Night moves, 3 v good films, you get older and appreciate these proper movies more, nothing like them today.

Thank you vey much Tony Bush ,this is a classic!Michael Small's soundtrack is mindblowing so is the one he composed for The Driver.Stellar cast !

now this sounds like a film I'll unequivocally love! you've sold me Tony!

You do t see movies like this anymore every part was a draw me in and waiting for next line so well done I often wish it would pop up on utube it's so good you won't stop till it ends a realistic movie that draws you in like a magnot😊

I've read the novelization by Goldman himself. That book ends differently- with Szell being shot down while being preached at- thus closer to being a Jewish revenge fantasy. It's really good. It also had a bit more of Roy's character. Showing how jaded he is with his work.

John Schlesinger, early in his career, was an assistant director on episodes of Danger Man. It featured an agent in thrilling circumstances staring Patrick McGoohan. So it's not surprising he was able to handle this film. Another successful assistant director from Danger Man was Peter Yates. He did a thriller The House on Carrol Street. His most well known film may be Bullit because of the terrific car chase.

What a beautiful review of certainly one of Hoffman's/Schlesingers greatest hollywood days -although I think Schlesinger took perverse pleasure in biting the hand that fed him making the wonderfully oddball Honky-tonk freeway again with Devane. MMis such a superbly enigeered movie and it's influence is still present (the back story and some of dialogue straight out of MM IN Indiana Jones 5). As you mentioned a cast all excellent with schieder taking a early dive -which shocked me the first time I saw it. And Hoffman's Utterly believable central performance coupled with Olivier giving a burn the screen believable Nazi ideology, rather than moustache twirling kraut. It's a phenomenal movie that still has power , in part to it rarety on TV and THAT scene but other scenes are as horrific -szells ease with killing anyone he deems a threat. Truly unique and Unforgettable. As to Jewish revenge cinema this isn't anymore than the boys from Brazil or raid on enterbee . Which during the seventys early early eighties labeled as such . Brilliant review

A welcome review of an undoubted classic. Thank you. Fair Play to you for pointing out the ludicrous claims made by Critics in an attempt to undermine the film. My only suggestion would have been for Gold and not worthless Rocks. Still, I wasn't the writer.

Now this is a classic! Admittedly Hoffmans age never was a problem when watching this back in the 90’s when I first saw it, but watching it recently he does seem a touch too old to playing the character, but it’s a minor quibble. I’ve always been a fan of William Devane, and was overjoyed last year when his Vietnam veteran revenge film Rolling Thunder was finally released on Blu Ray in the UK, Schlesinger would direct the not as good but still effective occult thriller The Believers about 10 years after with Martin Sheen, that’s worth checking out. Thanks for another great review Tony!

After watching your review made me want rewatch MM. Its a almost perfect thriller none of the actors give bad performances, the score although minimal is striking. Schlesinger always a certain director given the right material and actors really could deliver. Some scene subvert others-scheiders "It isn't safe" to Olivier's "is it safe?" Devanes good guy and bad guy simultaneously. Far superior to 99% of the trash that classed as thrilling these days. Great review

Thanks for another fascinating review, Tony. Lots of evocative stills, as always. MM is such a beautifully-shot movie. And William Devane has a distinctive dark charisma, doesn't he? BEST, D.

I remember seeing this film on HBO in the 70's, I had to read the book. The movie is great Lawrence Olivier scared the crap out of me. Roy Schieder was great as the brother. William Devane played a great creepy villian. The other two thugs were scary too. The plot and action was great it is still wonderful to watch.

I had my wisdom teeth out at that dentist last week, cost an arm and a leg

Probably my favourite thriller of all time. Hoffman is brilliant, Scheider gives Bourne a run for his money but it is Olivier who steals the show. Pure charming malevolence, who has a sickening care to his craft, not to mention the utter greed he has for the diamonds that almost manifests almost to hunger is sensational, add to that his conversation with Janeaway where the latter says with pure cynicism “I believe in my country” And Szell replies “So did we all” A masterclass in acting IMO.

I'm in total agreement with you Tony. Marathon Man is one of the very best thrillers I have ever seen. Superb performances by all involved and a sense of spine tingling dread running through the entire film. Modern thrillers just don't compare. As always a great review Tony.

Another great review never saw this movie thanks

American movies of the 70’s … the golden age

This one is in my top 10. Great review, new sub here sir.

I need to revisit this film because it's been to long. Hollyweird has apparently run out of new ideas will likely butcher this one before long. The Exorcist has already been handed to David Gordon Green after butchering (see how I did that) Halloween 3 times.

Love you're fecking review!

Marathon Man should be released every ten years or so, to show film makers how its done. There is nothing wrong with this thriller...PERIOD, the critics of the day would write anything to fill their columns, they did not have a clue then, and they are still the same. When you come out of the cinema, or switch off your DVD player after watching a film, and you say, " What a f*****g great film. " Let's go to the chippy. That's all you need. Take care Tony.

well done

When i first watched this as a kid the torture scene put me off Dentists for years. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie though, still do. Great choice to review. Cheers.

Great Vid yet again! The book is brilliant also. Scylla the rock.

Very Good Movie indeed...stars Somewhat promising, very erie and i like that...and to its credit , its necessary for a mystery plot at the time the plot twist, you get the same grade of revelation as the protagonists which makes more tense and paranoid...

Love this film

I saw the movie when it came out, but as a huge fan of the book (which I consider one of the greatest thrillers ever written), I was a little disappointed. Well written, acted and directed, but just not as great as the book. My appreciation of the film has grown after re-watching it multiple times over the years. As for the Snickers bar, it was only ever called the Marathon bar in the UK. It has always been Snickers everywhere else.

A brilliant movie

Forgotten to say Schlesingers very funny almost chamber piece An Englishman Abroad about guy Burgess and coral Browne's meeting in Moscow on BBC iPlayer at moment. It an excellent little movie (0nly 60minutes)

Marathon Man is a brilliant film

Critics are the worst. Critics blasted John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining & Vertigo among others & now they're considered classics same as Marathon Man. Olivier should've won Best Supporting Actor for Marathon Man.

I what scene is the Biomota SB5?

In fairness to that critic, giving the Nazi villain the Christian name Christian was a just a bit heavy handed. I always found it a touch amusing that the hired killer sent to off Doc was a middle-aged, paunchy Chinese man. Couldn't Szell have fashioned more of a disguise than just shaving his head? All in all, a film I like but don't love.

How do you figure Janeway was after Szell's diamonds? There's no indication of that in the film.

This film is as dumb as a sack of hammers, there's nothing about that makes the slightest bit sense.

Directed beautifully, scored wonderfully, really gets that grotty isolated New York of the 1970s across and mostly really well cast... ...but personally I hate the movie. The problem is I read the book first and Hoffman basically ruined the film for me. Not just due to him being cast as Babe (too old and annoyingly hysterical), but for all the changes Hoffman himself made to the plot. This was at the peak of his stardom and apparently he wasn't pleased with certain actions his character takes- he still wanted to emerge the likeable good guy at the end of the film as he thought anything else would damage his star power. It basically misses a huge part of the what made the book great. In the book, Babe is put through the ringer and psychologically destroyed by the end: the banality of evil, the long shadow of antisemitism and anticommunism and hatred and violence he studied so hard from a safe distance consumes him and he becomes a killer as merciless as those he once studied. He gets confidence and steel, but at the expense of a lot of his humanity. Don't get me wrong, it's still a pulpy thriller book at the end of the day, but it did have some meat to it and was an interesting take of violence begats violence. Hoffman didn't like this too much, so requested that the baddies all kill themselves in nonsensical and increasingly slapstick ways and Babe jogs away a hero. Didn't wash for me and I was thoroughly disappointed, especially as the rest of the cast and production was so good. One of those few films I think would actually benefit from a more faithful remake.

I'll tell ya this Tony, I was born too damn late.. everything in my generation is deteriorating faster than Biden's fragile mind