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Marathon Man poster

Marathon Man

year 1976decade 70sdirector John Schlesingergenre suspense thriller

125

IMDb
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Dustin Hoffman Thomas Babington "Babe"
Jeff Palladini Babe as a child
Laurence Olivier Dr. Christian Szell (alias 'Christopher Hess')
Roy Scheider Henry "Doc"
Scott Price Doc as a child
William Devane Peter Janeway
Marthe Keller Elsa Opel
Fritz Weaver Professor Biesenthal
Marc Lawrence Erhard
Allen Joseph H. V. Levy
Tito Goya Melendez
Ben Dova Klaus Szell
Lou Gilbert Rosenbaum
Jacques Marin LeClerc
Raymond Serra truck driver
Billy Kearns American tourist

Marathon Man | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanproducer Craig Horlbeckproducer Jack Sandersproducer Ronak Nair theme New York City Month
Explore episodeClose episode

Steven Seagal shitting on himself award for most unbelievable anecdote from the actual film shoot

The disputed Hoffman–Olivier method-acting exchange is selected.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:27Read transcript
  • The famous account says Olivier answered Hoffman’s sleep-deprivation method acting by suggesting that he simply act.
  • The exchange has been retold in conflicting versions by participants and chroniclers.
  • Hoffman’s Studio 54 detail is questioned because the club opened after the movie’s release.
  • Hoffman later said Olivier was joking and described a warm final-day visit.
  • The hosts favor Goldman’s version while acknowledging the dispute and Goldman’s stake in the rewritten ending.

Roger Ebert's review

Ebert’s three-star review is judged too low.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:38Read transcript
  • Ebert gave the film three stars while praising its moment-to-moment thriller craft despite plot holes.
  • The hosts argue the movie merits four stars and that Ebert withheld about half a star too much.
  • Contemporary critics are described as having unusually high expectations for 1976 thrillers.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The “Is it safe?” torture sequence is selected, among several nominated suspense set pieces.

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:33Read transcript
  • The opening road-rage crash is nominated and also called exaggerated enough to evoke a later spoof.
  • Doc’s Paris hotel fight and the piano-wire attack are nominated.
  • Doc visiting Babe and then testing Elsa over lunch are nominated for dialogue and character revelation.
  • Doc’s stabbing and bloody arrival at Babe’s apartment are nominated.
  • Babe trapped naked in the bathroom is praised for suspense and helplessness.
  • The dental torture and repeated “Is it safe?” question are praised as iconic and terrifying.
  • Szell being recognized in the Diamond District and opening the deposit box are nominated.
  • Doc’s Paris material is a favorite for its ominous atmosphere.
  • The “Is it safe?” sequence is selected as the most rewatchable scene.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

Original Nazis still active in 1976 is the lead choice; five other period markers are discussed.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:32Read transcript
  • Living perpetrators from World War II still operating openly is selected as the strongest 1976 marker.
  • Marathon training being treated as strange is nominated.
  • New York City’s 1976 appearance is nominated.
  • The film’s barely stated gay relationship is nominated as period-specific.
  • Diamonds priced at fifteen thousand dollars per carat are nominated.
  • McCarthyism victims functioning as a central plot device is selected as another period marker.

What’s Aged the Best?

Location photography, conspiracy-thriller construction, early death, dentistry horror, reversals, deposit boxes, running skills, Steadicam use, and Devane are praised.

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:23Read transcript
  • Authentic New York and Paris location shooting is praised.
  • Doc’s death staging outside the modernist building is praised.
  • Knowing the conspiracy makes Elsa’s surveillance and other clues more rewarding on rewatch.
  • Roy Scheider dying earlier than expected is praised as an effective star misdirection.
  • The film’s use of dentistry as torture remains potent.
  • Janeway’s apparent rescue of Babe becoming another interrogation is praised as a plot reversal.
  • Movie scenes involving safety-deposit boxes are called reliably watchable.
  • Babe’s highway-ramp jump is praised despite its physical improbability.
  • Babe’s marathon training paying off during his escape is praised.
  • The film is credited as an early Steadicam production and the first such movie released.
  • William Devane’s 1976–77 run and his performance are praised.

The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink

Clove oil and truffles en croûte are nominated, but the movie is deemed appetite-suppressing.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:44Read transcript
  • The clove-oil extract applied to Babe’s tooth is nominated.
  • The truffles en croûte Doc recommends to Elsa are nominated.
  • The exposed-root imagery earns the film a reverse food award because it discourages eating.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Several Conrad Hall compositions are nominated, especially the deposit box, Doc’s death, the Eiffel Tower reveal, and the soccer ball outside the opera.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:02Read transcript
  • Szell opening the deposit box is nominated.
  • The wide waterworks confrontation is nominated.
  • The red steps and fountain around Doc’s murder are nominated.
  • The camera moving through a window to reveal Doc’s Paris balcony and the Eiffel Tower is nominated.
  • The soccer ball rolling to Doc outside the opera is selected for its unexplained menace.

When I Would Have Died

The bathroom entrapment and revelation of dental tools are the proposed death points.

Flex pick · Chris Ryan

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:22Read transcript
  • One participant says the bathroom entrapment would be the likely death point, possibly by drowning or self-harm to avoid torture.
  • Another participant also chooses the bathroom because the window offers no escape.
  • The dental tools and Szell’s accent are said to be enough to cause a fatal panic or prompt a request for immediate death.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Elsa and the unexplained farmhouse detour are selected as the film’s weak links.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:15Read transcript
  • Elsa is selected because her allegiance to Szell feels insufficiently signaled.
  • The novel reveals Elsa’s allegiance after her first library meeting, making her danger explicit earlier.
  • The farmhouse detour is criticized as poorly motivated and unnecessary.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Cuts to Doc’s action, the farmhouse, childhood flashbacks, stalking, discarded diamonds, the dated Nazi premise, Babe’s apartment, and Scheider’s missed stardom are criticized.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:52Read transcript
  • Cutting Doc’s extended fight and reducing the violence while retaining the farmhouse sequence is criticized.
  • The repeated childhood flashbacks are called unnecessary beyond establishing the father’s suicide.
  • Following a woman home to initiate a date is criticized as dated.
  • Babe refusing to keep the diamonds or cash is strongly criticized.
  • The premise of active original Nazi criminals is said to have aged out of contemporary plausibility.
  • Babe’s sweaty, poorly ventilated apartment is imagined as smelling terrible.
  • Roy Scheider’s 1970s filmography is preferred to Hoffman’s, while his later aging and limited stardom are lamented.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Babe is judged foolish for missing clues and refusing to shoot Szell.

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:35Read transcript
  • Babe should recognize that being attacked by two older men in suits is unusual.
  • He is criticized for ignoring the connections among his murdered brother, Szell, and Elsa’s concealed German identity.
  • His refusal to shoot Szell is criticized as inconsistent after he shoots others at the farmhouse.
  • The novel reportedly has Babe shoot Szell and discard the diamonds before police take him away.

Half-Assed Internet Research

The segment covers Doc and Janeway’s relationship, Abebe Bikila, barefoot kickers, and Goldman’s unproduced Brothers screenplay.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:18Read transcript
  • The novel identifies Doc and Janeway as lovers more explicitly than the film.
  • The runner in the flashbacks is identified as Ethiopian Olympic champion Abebe Bikila, who won the 1960 marathon barefoot.
  • Barefoot football kickers and their poor historical accuracy are discussed.
  • Goldman reportedly wrote an unproduced, poorly regarded screenplay called Brothers connected to this story.

Apex Mountain

Apex cases are debated for the principal cast, filmmakers, torture scenes, Jewish revenge films, Nazi villains, and Diamond District scenes.

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:30Read transcript
  • Hoffman’s apex is disputed between his 1976 double of this film and All the President’s Men and Kramer vs. Kramer.
  • Dentistry as a movie device is judged near its apex here.
  • Scheider’s apex is placed around Jaws.
  • Devane’s apex is jokingly assigned to The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
  • The dental torture is placed among the most famous torture scenes, alongside Casino Royale, Reservoir Dogs, and others.
  • Goldman is judged at or near his apex in 1976.
  • Martha Keller and Schlesinger are assigned Black Sunday and Midnight Cowboy respectively.
  • Inglourious Basterds is selected as the apex Jewish-revenge film.
  • Christoph Waltz and the melting Nazi from Raiders are considered for Nazi-villain apex.
  • The movie is preferred to Uncut Gems for Diamond District scenes.

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Spielberg is selected for the Jewish-revenge dimension despite Scorsese’s New York credentials.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:37Read transcript
  • Spielberg is selected because of his association with Jewish revenge stories.
  • Scorsese is acknowledged as the stronger New York-associated director.

Picking Nits

The exposition drive, Szell’s Diamond District visit and disguise, farmhouse detour, Jaws marquee, and Hoffman’s running form are questioned.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:53Read transcript
  • Janeway telling Babe the entire Szell story during a circular drive is questioned, though defended as a confidence-building interrogation tactic.
  • Szell personally visiting the Diamond District before retrieving the diamonds is questioned.
  • Szell’s minimal disguise is criticized.
  • The drive to the farmhouse is questioned again.
  • A Jaws marquee visible behind Hoffman is said to break the Roy Scheider fiction.
  • Hoffman’s running stride and marathon pacing are criticized as lurching and inefficient.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

A Szell prequel about the hunt for him during his escape to South America is proposed.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:04Read transcript
  • A Szell prequel set during his postwar escape toward Argentina is proposed.
  • The proposed story would follow people hunting Szell rather than make him the protagonist.

Just One Oscar

Conrad Hall wins for cinematography over Olivier.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:59Read transcript
  • Conrad Hall is selected for his cinematography and especially his portrait of New York.
  • Olivier is the other leading choice, but the cinematography argument prevails.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The discussion asks about Babe’s dental recovery, the British-supervillain tradition, and whether his damaged apartment could be rented again.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:56Read transcript
  • The likely extensive dental treatment and anesthesia Babe would need are questioned.
  • The film is considered as a possible origin point for British actors playing Hollywood supervillains.
  • Whether Babe’s wrecked, foul-smelling apartment could ever be rented again prompts personal New York apartment stories.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

The wrist knife is wanted; the dental drill and Babe’s running clothes are rejected.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:49Read transcript
  • The dental drill is selected as memorabilia nobody would want.
  • Szell’s concealed wrist knife is selected as desirable memorabilia.
  • Babe’s running clothes are rejected.
  • The wrist knife’s historical plausibility and ability to pass airport security are questioned.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Kill the Nazi dentist and keep the diamonds.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:55Read transcript
  • The stated lesson is not to trust Nazis.
  • A second lesson says that after killing the Nazi dentist, Babe has earned the right to keep the diamonds.

Who Won the Movie?

Olivier wins with two explicit ballots; Craig praises the film without giving a winner ballot.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:48Read transcript
  • Olivier is chosen for bridging an older acting tradition and giving a brave performance.
  • The third participant praises the film’s suspense, delayed explanations, and Diamond District sequence but does not state a winner choice.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Laurence Olivier
Speaker not identified
Laurence Olivier

More from the conversation

The episode is presented as part of New York City Month and identifies Marathon Man as a long-planned selection.
Approx. transcript time · 00:00:47Read transcript
The opening discussion ranks Szell among major Nazi screen villains and compares the film with Inglourious Basterds, Munich, and Raiders.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:10Read transcript
Olivier’s physical frailty during production is discussed as a constraint the filmmakers turned into menace.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:15Read transcript
Goldman’s novel, its premise, 1974 publication, and reported $500,000 film-rights sale are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:08Read transcript
A Robert Evans making-of film and his flamboyant producer persona are discussed at length.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:08Read transcript
The production is said to have secured its preferred principal cast.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:12Read transcript
Hoffman’s preparation, career, acting range, method choices, and comparisons with other 1970s actors are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:22Read transcript
Olivier’s stage stature, illness, insurance, later career, and effect on fellow actors are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:53Read transcript
Olivier’s supporting-actor nomination is compared with the 1976 nominees and winner Jason Robards.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:09Read transcript
The film’s budget, gross, location production, political paranoia, and place among 1970s thrillers are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:39Read transcript
Olivier’s marriages and relationship with Vivien Leigh are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:28Read transcript
Participants discuss difficulty hearing older film mixes and their use of closed captions.
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:31Read transcript
The closing discussion previews Die Hard with a Vengeance and debates episode-count milestones.
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:25Read transcript