Mackans FilmMarathon Man (1976)
Title: Marathon Man
Year: 1976
Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller|
Runtime: 125 min
Director: John Schlesinger
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider
After the murder of his older brother, a New York history student is hounded by shadowy government agents on the trail of a Nazi war criminal who is trying to retrieve smuggled diamonds.
After watching Papillon and Kramer vs Kramer, it’s safe to say that Hoffman’s aspiration to create sublime and eccentric characters is a part of his persona. There’s a thin line between the actor and some of the characters.
Like many of his films from the 1970s, his interest in women and the smart young guy is ever so present, plus he has a dilemma. There’s no exception provided in this film, Marathon Man, which is labelled as a conspiracy thriller. There’s an infantile love story combined with some murder attempt and double murder. He’s a round-all actor, this Dustin Hoffman. He’s well-fed, artsy and delightful with humour. He pairs up Rob Schneider as brothers in this film, with whom he seems to have a mutual respectful bond. Their brotherhood is one of the core elements in the story. They’re charismatic as siblings and sell their family ties nicely.
There are some loose ends and some inconsistencies that this feature might not manage to uphold clearly or give satisfying results. Some think that the first half is slower than the other, but that’s the one I appreciate the most. The second half of this two-hour film offers extended Hollywood-style storytelling.
You could argue that Hoffman’s performance is over-the-top, and, as a young history graduate, it’s a bit emotionally overwhelming. It’s raw and rough in some of the scenes. I appreciate the pace, the performance and the storytelling, but still, it gives an anticlimactic taste.
What is it about? Can’t say, the story never unfolds and gives a satisfying answer. Not more than what the description wants to tell you.
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