There are obviously many reviews of this film. This is lent to the fact it was made and released in the mid seventies. The period in which I feel many of the greatest American films ever made were shot.I've read about 10 random reviews on this film. The vast majority is praise and cheers. Of course, there are always the dissenting perspectives, which everyone is entitled to. I have to say, however, if ANYONE among the 170+ reviews of this film gave it anything less then an 8 (of 10) you have no clue as to what makes a great Thriller, great.An early reviewer gave this film a 4! I read it out of sheer curiosity. Clearly this person has a strong command of the English language and good grammatical skills which do not lend credibility to the review. This person makes an attempt at undermining the brilliance of this tremendous thriller born from a great Novel with his rhetoric. The "Star Power" of this film is undeniable. This, however, does not a great film make. The plot and story line is thrilling and tense. The tension is palpable during the last 2/3rd's of the film. The first 1/3, albeit a bit slow, is necessary for story and character building. Each player is portrayed and introduced with meaningful purpose and sets the stage for a harrowing thrill ride till the very end. There are a couple sub plots that get a bit convoluted but nary a one takes away from the film enough to barely mention. Hoffman, Olivier, Scheider and Keller's performances are all brilliant. Growing up and working in the exact area where many scenes are shot (lower Manhattan's financial district, particularly south street seaport) and seeing it now vs. then is interesting as much of Manhattan was in poor shape and disrepair during the time of the shooting of this film. (Wealthy areas excluded) That, for me personally, is one of the things I liked most about this film. My personal familiarity with the set locations. That said, disregarding that fact, I still believe it to be one of the BEST thrillers ever made for the Silver screen. Watch for yourself...there are scenes in Marathon Man that will be burnt into your brain for many decades if not the rest of your life. It's that remarkable.

Dustin Hoffman is excellent as the protagonist in this well-written crime thriller set in New York City. Laurence Olivier is also very good as the antagonist.It's quite a complicated plot, involving family, Nazis, Jews, diamonds and running.

I'm the last person to complain about a movie not being what the book was. I buy that the two are different forms of media and hence can not be totally compared, but I do have one issue with this film. That is when the plot is changed in a way that the characterization takes a hit. Dustin Hoffmann plays a man named Babe who makes a discovery that puts him in danger. He is the "marathon man" in that he is a committed runner. He crosses paths with a surviving Nazi who is a character from hell. Their interaction includes the drilling out of Babe's teeth by this psychopath. Where it fall apart is in the final confrontation between these two men. I won't throw any spoilers in here. Suffice it to say that when a character grows through a period of suffering, the climactic scene should reflect this. Something goes awry. Check this out after reading the book.

"Marathon Man" is a film that divides folks into two groups--those who think it's a neat film about a vicious Nazi living in the modern world and those who think it's so graphic and so violent that they'd rather never watch it in the first place. I learned this when I tried watching it with my wife...as after a while she just left the room because she couldn't stand the dental scene near the end. I know many folks who felt the same way as my lovely wife...and many who liked the film. My advice is NOT to watch it if you have a phobia about dentists or don't want to see some blood! It's certainly NOT an easy film to watch.The story is about a vicious Dr. Mengele-like Nazi who leaves his secure hiding place in South America to come to America in search of stolen diamonds. Along the way, there's some weird plot involving the US government and Dustin Hoffman. It's all a bit confusing but never dull--especially when an old Jewish survivor spots Szell on the streets!The film is complex and fascinating. The end you'll either love or hate...but it never is dull.