Review of Marathon Man (1976) by Michelle B — 03 Feb 2011

Filled with political intrigue and the spy shenanigans of one 'Division', that picks up the kind of work the FBI and CIA fight over but don't take up, this one gets very personal for the lead when everyone he is close to is part of one deception or the other, right since childhood (won't ruin it by talking about it here).

This runs in parallel to the story of a second world war criminal whose brother is killed in a freak accident, after which he must travel to NY to recover his life's smuggled savings. Both these tales must collide at some point, and they do rather early into the plot.

The score is haunting, as are the framing shots used to convey a sense of paranoia and lurking danger at every point. Very, very effective. Performances and direction are top notch, but then, no Goldman screenplay has ever disappointed.

Not to be missed.