Marathon Man

Dir: John Schlesinger

1976

*****

"Is it safe?"

John Schlesinger's fantastic adaptation of William Goldman's 1974 novel of the same name is the epitome of the 1970s suspense-thriller film for me, and one of the reasons why I believe it remains the greatest decade for film. Right from the very beginning you feel something untoward is happening, something dreadful surfacing but without anyone realizing until it's too late. It's has one of the most striking introductions to a film of all time, incredible and it still has the same effect now after many repeat viewings. The cast and their performances were spot on perfect, according to producer Robert Evans, all his first choices for the film's leads; Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane and Marthe Keller, were all cast in the roles they were envisioned for. Director John Schlesinger envisioned a cast of Al Pacino, Julie Christie and Laurence Olivier. Pacino has said that the only actress he had ever wanted to work with was Christie, who he claimed was "the most poetic of actresses". However, Robert Evans, who disparaged Pacino as "The Midget" when Francis Ford Coppola wanted him for The Godfather and had thought of firing him during the early shooting of the now-classic film, vetoed Pacino for the lead. Instead, Evans insisted on the casting of the even shorter Dustin Hoffman. Christie, who was notoriously finicky about accepting roles, even in prestigious, sure-fire material, turned down the female lead, which was then taken by Marthe Keller. So of his dream cast, Schlesinger only got Laurence Olivier, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. Laurence Olivier was cast early on, however he had health issues and at one stage it was uncertain whether he would be able to do the film. Richard Widmark auditioned for the part, but Olivier eventually recovered and was able to participate in filming. Olivier took the role of Szell in part to leave a great deal of money to his wife and children, as he expected to die from the cancer that afflicted him throughout production. He performed the role while undergoing treatment for his cancer, which included heavy doses of painkillers to allow him to work every day. The pain medication affected his memory and at times the actor could not remember more than one or two of his lines at a time, according to "Adventures in the Screen Trade", at one point in rehearsal, Olivier asked William Goldman if he could change a line slightly, and called Goldman "Bill" while doing so. Goldman describes it as the high point of his career. Olivier's perseverance is testament to the actor's fierce concentration, his performance garnered rave reviews and the Oscar nomination, and despite working under such aggressive medical treatment, the actor experienced a full recovery allowing him to enjoy the success of this film and a series of leading roles that followed including A Bridge Too Far, The Boys from Brazil and The Jazz Singer. He lived a further twelve years. The scenes between he and Dustin Hoffman are now infamous, what was said behind the scenes probably more famous than what was said in front, due to the two greats acting styles. Olivier was old-school, a trained theatrical actor who could do Shakespeare with his eyes closed, Hoffman was serious, a method actor who immersed himself in his rolls. This could lead to serious situations, like during the scene where the heavies try to drown Hoffman in a bath, Hoffman insisted upon being made to stay underwater as long as possible to make it look 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.'" Olivier was said to be shocked at such methods and was famously quoted as saying 'Why don't you just try acting dear boy", at least that is what he has become to known for saying, Hoffman set the record straight on this a long time ago when he said during an interview "When we got back to Los Angeles [Olivier] said, "How did your week go, dear boy?" And I told him we did this scene where the character I was playing was supposed to be up for three days. He says, "So what did you do?" I say, "Well I stayed up for three days and three nights." And [Olivier's] famous line was, "Why don't you just try acting?" ... It became kind of legend. It's been quoted so many times, at least in the acting circles. And the truth is I was the first one to quote that line ... They leave out the reality and just put in what feels more provocative or a better story. And what accompanied him saying "Why don't you just try acting?" ... He laughed, because he said, you know, "I'm one to talk." And then he was actually the first one that told me about risking his life every night jumping whatever it was twenty feet in the last act of Hamlet. And the truth of it is I didn't just stay up three days and three nights for the scene; it was a good excuse, because these were the days of wine and roses in Studio 54." The two actors actually got on famously, on the last day of shooting, Laurence Olivier visited Dustin Hoffman at his home, bringing with him "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" as a gift. He then proceeded to read scenes from several of the plays, much to Hoffman's delight. Hoffman credits the story about his conflict with Olivier to general malice on the part of writer William Goldman, who did not take kindly to the fact that Hoffman had persuaded director John Schlesinger to change the ending of Goldman's book. Personally I think the film's ending is a million times better than the book, Goldman told an interviewer he thought the new, more famous ending was "sh*t" because it left out two important plot clarifications, which is true, but I think the change makes the conclusion far more poignant in relation to the overall story. It leaves the audience with far more to process. People considered the violence a little too much in places but most people involved with the film argued that the subject matter of endurance in the pursuit of Nazi war criminals warranted such grievous acts and it was much more than a 'Jewish revenge fantasy' as critic Pauline Kael considered it. It was actually a lot less violent than was first intended but that dentist scene will stay with you forever after watching. It's got everything a good thriller need in order to be a success, is perfectly balanced and beautifully filmed. The performances are of the highest quality and it is the best example I can think of, of how to make the perfect film.
"Is it safe?"