MARATHON MAN

US, 1976, 126 Minutes, Colour.
Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Marthe Keller, Roy Scheider, William Devane, Fritz Weaver.
Directed by John Schlesinger.

The credentials of this thriller are excellent: John Schlesinger as director of a William Goldman script from his own novel, Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, especially sinister with his dentist's drill and wrist knife, lead the cast. The ingredients of the plot, international crime, American universities, American violence, hidden ex-Nazis, are interesting in themselves but the shifts of location from New York to Paris to Uruguay require constant concentration and an alert mind for understanding, which might indicate why the film impresses with some excellent detail. like the initial car rivalry and crash and Hoffman's final confrontation with Olivier, but they do not combine for a completely satisfying whole.

1. An enjoyable and interesting film? The book's reputation as a best seller and William Goldman's adaptation of his own novel? How successfully?

2. The importance of the film's credentials: John Schlesinger and his reputation as a director? Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier and an Oscar nomination? The critics were generally lukewarm or hostile to the film. Why? Screenplay, thews, treatment?

3. How did the film reflect the trend of thrillers in the 70s? Especially the post-Watergate presentation of American politics, espionage, the CIA? The brutality and violence of the thrillers of the 70s? The preoccupation with the old Nazis and their refuge in South America?

4. How much insight into America in the 70s? Especially through the character of Babe? How particularly American was the focus of the film, the international repercussions of American politics and interests? The critique of the CIA and similar activities?

5. How important was the theme of innocent victims in guilty society? Szell and what he represented of the Nazis and guilty society, exploiting prisoners, persecuting Jews? The repercussions for America in the comparison with McCarthyism? and its persecution of victims? The next generation of Jews, of Americans? The web of interrelationships and consequences of guilt?

6. John Schlesinger is noted for his skill in presenting atmosphere with great attention to detail. How was this particularly noticeable in the opening with the television presentation of the Marathon and Babe's running? The various people eg. the man with the dog during the running? The crosscutting to the build-up to the silly race between Jew and German? The people watching, the rivalry and the death with the oil truck? The New York streets, people watching. The later presentation of the baggage strike at the airport? Paris and the garbage strike, the demonstrations, the opera? The visual presentation of Uruguay and the preparation for Szell to depart? How authentic an atmosphere did this give to the various locations? The presentation of details to be used later for eg. Babe's capacity for running, Szell's wrist knife etc.?

7. How well communicated was basic information for the plot? The skill of the crosscutting from Babe, to the accident, to Paris? How well presented were the links between the various characters? The therms? Indications in the dialogue? Many audiences said the material was not presented clearly and was too mysterious. Is this true?

8. Dustin Hoffman's style as Babe? His running, the Games' credits? The illustration of his running eg. the dog, the boys opposite his apartment calling him 'the creep'. A young American man of the 70s generation, education, study, the university, the discussion about his thesis? The importance of the McCarthy? period and the repercussions for his Father? (How important were the flashbacks, the flashes and only partial information, the repetitions throughout the film?) Babe and his study, his work in the library, his life at home in his apartment etc.? How well could audiences identify with Babe and what he stood for, and then share his experience of being victimised?

9. The irony of Babe in his relationship with Else? The irony when it was revealed she was working for Szell? The humour of their meting in the library, his chasing her, pestering her and her seeming rejection? The enjoyment of their outings and the bonds between them? The suddenness of their being mugged in Central Park and the audience knowing who was responsible? The device of the letter written to his brother to indicate what was happening to form a link between Babe and Doc?

10. How convincing and interesting a character was Doc? His dapper appearance in Paris? The sinister visit to the shop, with the chocolates? The suddenness of the explosion? The presence of Janeway in Paris and the link with Doc? The sinister presence of the Chinese? The secrets at the opera house and the build-up to the various boxes and the discovery of the dead man? The sinister colonnades outside and the sudden death of the woman spy and the ball rolling towards Doc? The presentation of Doc exercising, the sinister nature of his apartment and an assassin possibly concealed in a cupboard? His watching the demonstration ? and the audience sharing the anticipation of the man in the wheelchair watching opposite? The Chinese arriving and the deadliness and brutality of their fight, the injury to Doc, the death of the Chinese? The building up of an atmosphere of violence? The irony when Babe was linked to these episodes by his brother?

11. How important was the presentation of Szell's brother at the beginning of the film ? his work with the deposit box, the importance of the key, the seeming humour of his stalling in the car, the Jewish German rivalry with all its implications and hostility? The race, the crash, and the destruction of the key? The consequences of this loss of the key?

12. The introduction to Szell in South America? His way of life, isolation? The scenes of his changing his appearance? The irony of his having to come to New York for the diamonds? The irony also of the Division allowing him? The scenes of his leaving Uruguay in disguise? The peasant assistants?

13. The contrast with Babe's brother arriving? The stealthy sequence and his frightening Babe ? and the audience? The contrast with Doc in America from his behaviour in Paris? The outing, the drink, business deals, the memory of his father ? compared with Babe's memory? The meal and the unmasking of Elsa as a phoney? The build-up to the atmosphere of his death?

14. The build?8? to Doc's death? The confrontation between Szell and Doc in the piazza? The sudden violence of Szell's killing him? His death agony and his dragging himself back to Babe's place?

15. The build-up to the interrogation of Babe? The audience knowing more than he did? The introduction of Janeaway? The police interrogation, the Division?

16. The suspense with the sequence of Babe in the bath, the capture of Babe? The two henchmen of Szell and their brutality? The dentist sequence with Szell repeating 'Is it safe?'? The irony of Babe's escape with Janeaway and the return? The torture and Babe's continual referring to his teeth with his tongue?

17. The drama of the escape, Janeaway's chasing him through the streets? The irony of his being helped by the louts who called him 'the creep'? His contact with them and their help? The contact with Elsa?

18. The irony of Elsa's relationship with Szell's brother? The arrival at the house and Babe's connecting all the threads? Janeaway and his presence? The atmosphere of fear, Babe's use of the gun? The deaths of Janeaway and Elsa?

19. The importance of Szell's wanting to get his diamonds back? The technique of getting the diamonds, going into the vault with the keys, his laugh and disturbing the attendants?

20. Szell and his walking through New York, his behaviour in the shops, his Nazi attitudes emerging, the people recognizing him, the man chasing him and his sudden death, the woman and her shouting?

21. The final confrontation between Babe and Szell? The fight, the diamonds, Babe's making Szell swallow the diamonds. his death and the irony of his stabbing himself?

22. The atmosphere of the ending with Babe reflecting on his experience, the realization of Doc's role, Elsa's? The reality of Szell and his past and his present? Death? The atmosphere of the Marathon Man and his running to free himself?

23. The realism of the film. the ugliness. the violence and the language?

24. The human themes of relationships? The political themes both within America of Babe and his father, Nazism and the parallel with McCarthyism? What insight into human nature and society?