“Is it safe?” whispers Nazi war criminal and dentist Laurence Olivier, doing a Novocain-free probing on grad student and marathon runner Dustin Hoffman — what has his big brother Roy Scheider gotten him into? And who’s got those diamonds? Adapted by William Goldman, from his own bestselling novel, with Olivier’s walk through the 47th Street Diamond District a highlight, Marathon Man was another huge commercial success for Schlesinger. The movie is also famous for the encounter between Olivier and Hoffman: exasperated by Hoffman's "method" approach, Olivier reportedly told him, "My dear boy, why don't you just try acting?"
“A VISCERAL THRILLER.” – Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
Screening as part of our John Schlesinger Centenary celebration.