IMDb >
Marathon Man (1976)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsMarathon Man (1976) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 19 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
         |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
8 October 1976 (USA)
more
Plot:
A graduate history student is unwittingly caught in the middle of an international conspiracy involving stolen diamonds, an exiled Nazi war criminal, and a rogue government agent. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 3 wins
&
9 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(19 articles)
Director John Hillcoat Interview The Road
(From Collider.com. 21 November 2009, 9:02 PM, PST)
Will Smith and Spielberg Remake of Oldboy Gets the Axe
(From ReelzChannel. 10 November 2009, 5:04 AM, PST)
(From Collider.com. 21 November 2009, 9:02 PM, PST)
Will Smith and Spielberg Remake of Oldboy Gets the Axe
(From ReelzChannel. 10 November 2009, 5:04 AM, PST)
User Comments:
One of the best thrillers ever made
more (117 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Dustin Hoffman | ... | Babe |
 | Laurence Olivier | ... | Szell |
 | Roy Scheider | ... | Doc |
 | William Devane | ... | Janeway |
 | Marthe Keller | ... | Elsa |
 | Fritz Weaver | ... | Professor Biesenthal |
 | Richard Bright | ... | Karl |
| Marc Lawrence | ... | Erhard |
| Allen Joseph | ... | Babe's Father |
| Tito Goya | ... | Melendez |
| Ben Dova | ... | Szell's Brother |
| Lou Gilbert | ... | Rosenbaum |
| Jacques Marin | ... | LeClerc |
| James Wing Woo | ... | Chen |
| Nicole Deslauriers | ... | Nicole |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
125 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
Singapore:M18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:X (original rating) |
Brazil:14 |
South Korea:18 |
Argentina:18 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Australia:M |
Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2003) (uncut version) |
Finland:K-16 (1988) (cut version) |
France:-16 |
Ireland:18 |
Italy:VM18 |
Netherlands:16 |
Norway:15 |
Norway:16 (1977) |
Spain:18 |
UK:18 |
USA:R |
West Germany:16
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
During the scene where the heavies try to drown Dustin Hoffman in the bathtub, Hoffman (always the method actor) insisted upon being made to stay underwater as long as possible to make it real. Several takes were done and Hoffman insisted on being kept down longer in the water. By the end of the scene, he had to be given oxygen. In his own words, "I said, 'Don't press on my Adam's apple, but try to really hold me under. Let me see how long I can stay under. Let me see if I can fight you. Let me see what happens.'"
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Babe and Elsa are outside Szell's brother's house, the sky changes back and forth from cloudy/hazy to sunny and blue a number of times.
more
Quotes:
[the salesman tries to sell a diamond to Szell]
Jewelry Salesman: Tell you what, I know an independent appraiser upstairs, and if he doesn't swear that I'm practically giving this thing away... well, I guess I'll have to find myself a new brother-in-law.
more
Jewelry Salesman: Tell you what, I know an independent appraiser upstairs, and if he doesn't swear that I'm practically giving this thing away... well, I guess I'll have to find myself a new brother-in-law.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Jeffersons: Marathon Men (#7.1)" (1980)
more
Soundtrack:
Der Neugierige
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (117 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Marathon Man (1976) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Live Free or Die Hard | Munich | Kite | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | King of New York |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Marathon Man starts off rather slowly, and for the first hour at least, it feels as if you're watching a human drama rather than a thriller. However, unlike a lot of thrillers; Marathon Man uses this time to create characters and establish the situation, which ultimately pays off later on in the film when the movie really gets going. When the film does step on the gas, it is as thrilling as any thriller you will ever see; Dustin Hoffman is subjected to all sorts of things, most notably an excruciating torture sequence. This scene is powerful and painful on it's own, but it is made more so by the fact that we have already gotten to know the character and therefore we feel sympathy for him, as well as cringing at the images we see on screen. That scene alone is enough to propel the movie in the realms of greatness, as it is simply one of the most powerful that cinema has ever given us; but this movie is a hell of a lot more than just a torture sequence.
The plot revolves around a car crash that takes place in downtown New York. One of the men in this crash is the brother of the infamous Nazi war criminal, Szell, who has some diamonds hidden in a safety deposit box. From then on, many members of a US defence organisation, known as "The Division", begin turning up dead and soon after, Thomas Levy, a college student, obsessive runner and the brother of one of The Division's members, becomes embroiled in the plot. It is easy to see the parallels between the plot movie and World War 2, from the withered ex-Nazi (indicative of the state of the actual regime), to his enemies being American; the movie has world war 2 written all over it. The film is excellently directed throughout by John Schlesinger. Schlesinger, probably best known for "Midnight Cowboy" does a fantastic job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seat for the duration of the movie. A constant foreboding feel is created, and you're never truly sure of what will happen. This is exactly what you want in a thriller, as nobody likes it when they can predict what will happen next.
Dustin Hoffman takes the lead role of Thomas Levy. Dustin Hoffman is a fantastic actor, and he certainly gets to flex his acting muscles here, in a film which sees him go through all manner of unpleasant scenes and also hold up lots of relationships with various characters, as well as drawing sympathy from the audience to accent his situation. Roy Scheider (of Jaws fame) stars opposite Dustin Hoffman in the movie. Scheider doesn't get a great deal of screentime in the film, but he still manages to do good things with the time he does have. The third lead role, that of the Nazi war criminal, is taken by Lawrence Olivier, who is also a fantastic actor and gives a great performance in this film. He gives his character just the right atmosphere, and we can tell just by looking at the man that he is cold and uncaring, and also past it; which is the crux of his character.
The film ends with a spectacular sequence, which sees the movie and the two centrals characters come to a satisfying conclusion. The characters are the central theme in this movie, and had the movie have ended differently it could have unravelled everything that it had created, but the movie's end is absolutely perfect and does the entire movie justice. A brilliant piece of cinema.