Review of Marathon Man (1976) by Deborah R — 17 Jan 2010
Up until the justly famous "Is it safe?" scene, Marathon Man is an absolutely outstanding example of 70s paranoia thrillers. The characters are richly drawn, the plot intriguing and moving like a rocket, the tension thick.
..it's a complete blast. Sadly, there's almost another hour of movie after that scene...and no one quite knew what to do with it. I don't remember much about the book, but I do remember it making a lot more sense than the movie, which ultimately degenerates into a bunch of great moments that don't add up to anything at all.
Take, for example, the scene with Szell walking through the Jewish neighborhood. It's a great scene, and builds some nice tension, but there's no payoff and absolutely no connection to the rest of the film.
Unfortunately, that's the story with most of the second half of the film. All those interesting character details from the first half? No payoff. The plot? Still muddled and confusing. It's all nicely shot and works as a collection of some great scenes, but it really falls apart in the second half.
This review of Marathon Man (1976) was written by Deborah R on 17 Jan 2010.
Marathon Man has generally received positive reviews.
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