21 Jan Marathon Man
(1976) A Columbia grad student who is training to run a marathon finds himself caught up in a nightmare involving a Nazi war criminal reminiscent of Mengele, the Angel of Death. Instead of being a doctor, this “Dr. Christian Szell” (what a terrible name for him) is a dentist.
You have to endure a couple of excruciating torture scenes and it helps to remember that it’s only a movie.
The good? It’s a thriller … just get prepared for the screaming. The best part was watching the three main stars 36 years later. Dustin Hoffman (the graduate-student of course) was 39, looked 29, looked great. When Roy Scheider (at 44) did his pushups from the bed I just couldn’t believe it. And even though his health was on the decline, Laurence Olivier at 69 years old still looked the grand gentleman and was nominated for an Oscar.
The bad? Trying to figure out how the story all fit together. William DeVane (as smirky as ever) was with an ultra CIA and he let the sadomasochistic Nazi loose with his dental instruments? Really? Is it safe?
William Goldman wrote the 1974 novel and also the screenplay for Marathon Man.
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