Review of Marathon Man (1976) by Grant S — 30 Jan 2009
I really don't see what the big deal is about this film. For the first hour at least, all the characters are going along thier merry ways and all thier actions don't interact at all. Some exchanges are peppered with violence, but it's never clear what's going on for so long that when it finally is revealed - in a big chunk of exposition delivered in a three minute car ride - it seems like a shock.
The only things I really liked about this film are Laurence Olivier as the unremittingly evil Nazi dentist and the way he's inundated with Jewish culture as he walks through Manhattan. I think the scenes where he has to tread so lightly, surrounded by the people he's wronged are so razors-edge and fascinating to watch.
Until they get there though, this movie really drags.
This review of Marathon Man (1976) was written by Grant S on 30 Jan 2009.
Marathon Man has generally received positive reviews.
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