Marathon Man

Audience Reviews

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Feb 1, 2019 The best thrilling movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Laurence Olivier as Dr. Christian Szell! And the best movie quote ever spoken: "Is it safe?" See more

Theodore R Jan 19, 2019 A few loop holes in this movie you might not get the answer to, but if you are willing enough to forgive them, you can sit back and enjoy the ride, as it works for what it is: A thriller. See more

Hagrid G Jun 25, 2018 Political paranoia thrillers from the mid-70s are one of my favorite niche genres, so of course I dig this. The convoluted plot, unexplained connections, lack of clarity: It all works in combo to create an affect of conspiracy, where nothing can be trusted and the viewer is just as lost as the protagonist. There is a weird sincerity to that positional fear, since without any separating or exterior knowledge-the audience knows no better than the characters what lies behind the next corner-there is a lack of irony. Accordingly, the horror and the confusion are omnipresent here: The bad guys are just as paranoid as the heroes, the government as psychotic as the criminals. The specters of the past-the residue of our pain, whether that means the memory of a dead father or the survivors of the holocaust-continue to haunt the present, able to pass through whatever walls appear to keep us safe. So is it safe? The answer is decidedly "no," no matter the subject of the question. "Is it safe?"-the paranoiac's version of "che vuoi?"-a question that haunts, that terrorizes, that causes pain and touches a nerve just in the asking. Nothing can keep us safe, neither ignorance, which leaves us unprepared and ambushed, nor knowledge, which only exposes us to more privileged sort of danger. See more

Albus S Feb 17, 2018 This William Goldman tale about an ex-Nazi resurfacing to claim his hidden cache of war booty is often needlessly convoluted but ultimately satisfying due to the dearth of screen talent involved. Interestingly the famous torture scene comes off as -meh- in the days of post-splatterhouse gore. It was interesting, too, to see again the world just prior to the internet explosion. See more

Poe G Jan 30, 2018 Loved it. A very tense thriller with an extremely original plot, I had no idea where Marathon Man was going in advance, but I loved it from top to bottom. I especially loved moments like the previously interned Jews in the new york diamond district recognizing Szell and chasing him through the streets. My major issue with this film is the ending; when the time comes, Dustin Hoffman refuses to kill the man who tortured him, not to mention tortured, robbed, and killed countless Jews under Hitler's orders. It would have been SO simple for him to shoot Szell and run away with the diamonds, at least redistribute the wealth in a way that benefits the victims?!? I really don't understand. See more

Hagrid L Oct 26, 2017 Still scared shitless of the dentist because of this flick

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Marathon Man

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