[FilmReview]MarathonMan(1976)7.3/10

InhabitingJohnSchlesinger’scynical,violent,Jew’srevengetaleMARATHONMAN,borneoutofonWilliamGoldman’seponymousnovel,variouscharactersaredrivensolelybytheircupidity(nopatrioticmotiveorpoliticalagendaisinvolved)toenforcedouble-crossing,honeytrap,homeinvasion,interrogation,assassinationandbombexplosiontotheextreme.Onlyourprotagonist,theColumbiaUniversitypost-graduatestudentThomas“Babe”Levy(Hoffman,significantlyundergoesaphysicaltransformationandispungentlyexpressivewhenthingsspiraloutofhiswaysofcomprehension)isinnocentlyembroiledinasinisterdiamondacquisitionscheme,becauseofhisownbrotherHenry“Doc”Levy(Scheider,buildsupgreatmystiquearoundamoreintriguingcharacter,onlytobeguttedhalfwayinashockingkicker)turnsouttobeasecretgovernmentagent,andoneofthecouriersofthediamonds’transactions,plusbothhaveamillstonearoundtheirnecksduetothedeathoftheirfather,anintellectualpersecutedintheMcCarthyeraforCommunistaffiliation,onetriestorightthewrongandtheotherchoosestosweepitunderthecarpet.Itallstartswithahighlyimprobablecaraccident,inflamedbyant-Nazifurorandcausingacasualtyoftwo,oneofthemisthebrotherofthemost-wantedNazileftalive,Dr.ChristianSzell(Olivier),aka,“theWhiteAngelofAuschwitz”,whoistherefore,forcedoutofhishidinginParaguay,andprecipitateshisadventinNewYorktoreclaimthediamondsleftbyhisdeadbrotherinabank’svault.Inanothertautlyexecutedparalleledsubplot,DocsurviveswithinawhiskerofmeetinghisownmakerfromseveralassassinationattemptsonhissecretmissioninParis,afterdispatchingakillerheknows,hesuspectssomeoneisdispatchingallthecouriers,andexpresseshisconcerntohissuperiorPeterJaneway(Devane),thenshortlyafterhereuniteswithBabe,andincidentallydisclosesthedisguisedidentityofthelatter’scontinentalgirlfriendElsa(Keller,emulatingamorerelaxedFayeDunawayimpressioninanunderdevelopedandsidelinedrolebutnevertheless,leavessomeimpactforhersorryambivalence),hisrendezvouswithSzellendsupwithhimbeingmortallywounded(thereissomethingunder-explainedintermsofcausalityhere),andheexhalesthelastgaspinthearmsofBabe,ergo,Babeisplungedintoaconsecutivehorrorofabduction,grilling,tortureandchase,exactedbyPeter,Szellandhisunderlings,justbecausetheythinkheknowssomethingaboutthediamond,herecomesSzell’srelentlesscatchphrase“Isitsafe?”.Eventually,owingtohispreparationfortheupcomingmarathon(yes,heisanavidrunner),Babeliterallyrunsoutofharm’sway,onlytobeleduptoanotherset-uproundedoffwithaDavid-versus-Goliathvictory,themaximisthatevenapacifistcanshootstraighterthanhaplessprokillerswhenafilmisinitshomestretch,sothatBabecansquareupthewholeshebangwithSzellintheCentralPark,whereagunalwayscomeshandierthanahiddenblade,andadiamond-swallowingactgivesabaldOliviersomethingmoretochewthanhischillinglydiabolicalembodimentofpureevil,anOscarnominationisasweetpayoff.Intheevent,MARATHONMANisacrackingpulpfictionconnivedbysignsofitstimessuchasparanoia,cynicismandarabidvindictivenessfueledbyanti-Nazifervor,butwhenthemovieisinitskineticmode,itisatop-tierthriller,relentlesslyominousandunflappablyprobingtheprofoundhelplessnesswhennoonecanbetrustedinthiswretchedworld.referentialentries:Schlesinger’DARLING(1965,7.8/10),SUNDAYBLOODYSUNDAY(1971,7.9/10);SydneyPollack’sTHREEDAYSOFTHECONDOR(1975,6.7/10)本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。