Search results
Thomas Babington "Babe" Levy is a history student and distance runner who seeks to rehabilitate the memory of his father, who committed suicide during McCarthyism. During a training session in Central Park, Babe witnesses a fiery car accident that kills Klaus Szell, the brother of Nazi war criminal Christian Szell.
One of the most accomplished examples of suspense thrillers in the 1970s, John Schlesinger's Marathon Man is a remarkable film on all levels. The legendary screenwriter William Goldman adapted his own novel for the big screen, and did it quite marvelously with the generous help of a proven acting crew of Laurence Olivier, Dustin Hoffman
- 6 min
- The Marathon Man
- No One Knows Anything
- Is It Safe?
- They Want to Connect
- Performance and Pacing
- Some of The Artistry of The Scene
- One of Those Scenes
John Schlesinger’s taut 1976 thriller stars Dustin Hoffman as “Babe,” a graduate student and avid runner, who becomes involved in his older brother’s secret-agent conspiracy. Laurence Olivier’s Dr. Szell, the other main character in the scene, doesn’t believe Babe is so innocent. It is his business not to believe. He is a Nazi war criminal, the “Wh...
It’s an iconic scene. Dustin Hoffman as ‘Babe’ Levy is interrogated in a quite particular way by Dr. Christian Szell, the Nazi war criminal, played by Laurence Olivier. And that’s it; isn’t it? Szell drills the tooth, badda bing, badda boom. Oh no. There’s a multitude more in this less-than-ten-minute scene. And the fear for me comes from more than...
This is the line people quote from Marathon Man. Even Gremlins 2had it (often cut out, of course) and why not? The line is odd enough to keep us coming back and beautifully done. I had thought that Olivier added some inflection, a question perhaps, to the line. But looking back, he doesn’t. This is the brilliance of the performance. It is not a que...
Szell is interested in Babe’s learned background. He feels some similarly. And then he tells him “I would have thought you would have found me interesting.” Well, he has him strapped to chair with dental equipment in front of him. Yet still, he wants a connection. It isn’t only him, when Szell mentions his alexia, Babe jumps in to offer a definitio...
The scene has none of the London hardman sudden bursts of anger. Director Schlesinger is too savvy for that. The scene is played with a slow pace: the horror unfolds and that adds to the feeling that Babe and we too don’t know what will happen next. If you’ve seen a bloke shout in your face and punch you in the nose, you know you’re in for more of ...
Schlesinger and his cinematographer Conrad Hall knew exactly how to wring every ounce of fear out of this. Firstly, the setting. If this was all gleaming white tiled walls, you would feel safe. You may feel ill at ease, but this would be clearly a doctor or dentist’s set up. That certainty isn’t allowed. This has white walls, which may make you fee...
There so many other scenes in this superb movie, including Olivier’s childlike delight in seeing the diamonds and shortly later when he is recognised in the street as the Nazi, called and and pursued, my favourite here. But this scene is iconic. It stays with you. It’s up there. It’s frightening. And there many more reasons other than childhood fea...
- Steve Swift
Oct 15, 2018 · Composed almost like a Sidney Lumet crime thriller but with a hearty dose of the sort of unforgettable villainy found only in horror films, Marathon Man sees Dustin Hoffman’s post-grad...
- Dom Nero
- 3 min
- Senior Creative Producer
1 day ago · Team USA’s Joan Benoit won the race in a time of 2:24:52, setting an Olympic record in the process. Like the men’s marathon, an official world record for the women’s marathon wasn’t kept until the early 2000s, when Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe ran an astonishing time of 2:15:25 to set the global benchmark for the women’s marathon.
Jun 6, 2021 · Marathon Man is a 1976 thriller film directed by John Schlesinger and written by William Goldman, an adaptation of his 1974 novel. The film stars Dustin Hoffman and costars Laurence Olivier , Roy Scheider , William Devane , and Marthe Keller .
People also ask
Is Marathon Man based on a true story?
Why is Marathon Man so famous?
Why does Babe want out of Marathon Man?
Is Marathon Man a '70s era New York movie?
Is Marathon Man safe?
Where does Babe throw his gun in Marathon Man?
In New York, marathon runner Thomas "Babe" Levy is a graduate student who researches history as his father, who committed suicide after being investigated in the Communist witch hunts of the McCarthy era.
