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Marathon Man is an awkward marriage between political/espionage thriller and Nazis-on-the-loose chiller. There are moments of sublime horror and some great acting on display, but the film is ultimately undone by its instance on being more important or better than it actually is. There are large swaths of time in which the film is a bore, and more than a few moments in which the story’s various twists and turns strain credibility to the breaking point.
It tells the story of a man, Dustin Hoffman in sweaty and twitchy mode, stumbling into a conspiracy involving the US government, Nazis in America, gems, and his dead brother (Roy Scheider, who is magnetic and not in this long enough). The film gets fairly preposterous towards the middle and end as everyone Hoffman keeps meeting is somehow tied into the conspiracy. And I do mean everyone. After a while it did nothing but make me strain from trying not to roll my eyes.
That isn’t to say that Marathon Man isn’t effective in spots. Whenever Laurence Olivier appears on-screen the film comes alive, blooming into something deeper and chillier. Olivier dominates the film, having one of those characters who are referenced constantly before finally being revealed. It’s a difficult task for any actor to live up these expectations, but Olivier brings a legacy and weight as an actor which lends credence to the idea we have built up. Olivier is possibly even more terrifying once he begins performing dental surgery and spouting off “Is it safe?” repeatedly.
Olivier’s work almost makes some of the wilder and downright odd plot twists believable. Hoffman clearly strains to make sure we get all of the key changes, as his character travels from meek pacifist to gun-wielding avenger, but Olivier is pure urbane charisma turned into ominous authority and gleeful disdain for others. Director John Schlesinger can create some wonderful bits of tension, like a walk down the street in which Olivier’s former Nazi guard is recognized by his victims. Many of the players work hard to make Marathon Man into an important film, but the film is riddled with logical holes and moments that stand out for being so good next to others that are dull.
