Cracking thriller

'Marathon Man' is a typical example of everything that was good about 70's American cinema. What could have been a fairly routine thriller is elevated by it's dedicated cast, skillful editing and refusal to underestimate it's audience.

Opening with a German being killed in a car crash and then jumping to the mysterious Doc(Roy Scheider), a covert US operative and then to an exiled Nazi(Laurence Olivier). It's hard to see at first what links these characters to Thomas(Dustin Hoffman), a student in training for the marathon, or his french girlfriend(Marthe Keller). Slowly the strands come together and once the film gets going it never lets up.

Totally compelling throughout 'Marathon Man' is a riveting thriller. Hoffman is superb as the bemused central character who really doesn't know how or why he's caught up in this mess and Laurence Olivier is the essence of evil as the sadistic Nazi dentist. There may be a few loose ends left hanging at the climax but you may be too exhausted and thrilled by that point to notice.