“Marathon Man,” directed by John Schlesinger, is a 1976 thriller that intertwines political intrigue, family secrets, and a relentless quest for survival. Based on William Goldman’s novel, the film features standout performances from its leading cast.
The story centers on Thomas “Babe” Levy (Dustin Hoffman), a Columbia University graduate history student and avid marathon runner. Babe lives in the shadow of his father, who committed suicide after being blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He is determined to clear his father’s name by delving into the historical injustices of that time.
Babe’s brother, Henry “Doc” Levy (Roy Scheider), is a government agent involved in clandestine operations. Despite their close bond, Babe is unaware of Doc’s dangerous profession. The plot thickens when an elderly Nazi war criminal, Dr. Christian Szell (Laurence Olivier), who has been hiding in South America, re-emerges in search of stolen diamonds hidden in a safe deposit box in New York City.
The film opens with a seemingly unrelated car chase in Manhattan that results in the death of Doc’s colleague. This incident is connected to Szell, who is preparing to retrieve the diamonds kept by his brother, now deceased. Szell’s paranoia and ruthlessness are evident as he eliminates anyone who poses a threat to his plan.
Aware of Szell’s return, Doc meets him in Paris to negotiate. However, Szell, mistrusting Doc, sends assassins to kill him. Doc survives the initial attempt and returns to New York, gravely injured. He collapses at Babe’s apartment, warning him with his dying breath to “watch out for Szell.” This thrusts Babe into a deadly conspiracy he does not understand.
Babe is soon kidnapped by Szell’s henchmen and subjected to brutal interrogation, including the infamous dental torture scene where Szell repeatedly asks, “Is it safe?” Babe, having no knowledge of the diamonds or the conspiracy, is bewildered and terrified.
As Babe tries to piece together the truth, he realizes that even those he trusted, like his girlfriend Elsa Opel (Marthe Keller), may be involved in the plot. Elsa is revealed to be in league with Szell, further complicating Babe’s efforts to survive and uncover the truth.
The tension escalates when Babe manages to escape and seek help from Janeway (William Devane), a government operative who turns out to be corrupt and allied with Szell. Betrayed and desperate, Babe uses his intelligence and athleticism to evade capture and confront his enemies.
In the climax, Babe lures Szell to Central Park and forces him to retrieve the diamonds from the safe deposit box. Driven by greed, Szell complies but then attacks Babe. In a final confrontation, Babe manages to overpower Szell and throws the diamonds down a sewer grate. Defeated and humiliated, Szell attempts to retrieve them but falls and is fatally injured.
The film concludes with Babe standing over the dying Szell, symbolizing his triumph over the evil that destroyed his family. “Marathon Man” is a masterful blend of psychological tension, action, and moral ambiguity. Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Babe as an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances, along with Laurence Olivier’s chilling performance as Szell. “is it safe?.”
The Other Cinema 