Olivier vs. Hoffman, that's what this film comes down to, and I'm afraid Olivier triumphs- but just barely. You know the plot, you know what happens, you know the "is it safe?" line- it's basically old guard acting vs. the new guys, and it's as good as Ali vs. Foreman. Hoffman is great, as is Scheider and everyone else in the cast, but the film clearly belongs to Olivier. Imagine if they remade this film now- would it be Hoffman vs. The Cast of Friends? Sad to contemplate the state of the art, but in the 70's it was vital and this film was and is one of the best.
Review of Marathon Man
