Is it safe? From the best-selling novel by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, Misery) comes one of the most daring and affecting thrillers ever brought to the screen. Dustin Hoffman (Papillon) plays the likable graduate student and marathon runner of the title, unwillingly trapped in a killing game of intrigue involving a Nazi fugitive, Christian Szell. Laurence Olivier (Sleuth) received an Academy Award nomination for his chilling portrayal of Szell, who turns dental instruments into tools of torture with dispassionate ease. Directed by John Schlesinger (Billy Liar, Midnight Cowboy, The Day of the Locust), Marathon Man moves with nail-biting suspense to its gripping, fever-pitched conclusion. Featuring Roy Scheider (Jaws), William Devane (Rolling Thunder), Marthe Keller (Black Sunday) and the extraordinary cinematography of Conrad Hall (Electra Glide in Blue).
For thoughts on Marathon Man, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Marathon Man with a fetching 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer for the first time on 4K UHD Blu-Ray sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. The Dolby Vision brings out the nuances of the reserved, metallic palette along with a strong control of contrast which is pretty unbelievable. The film is devoid of what most would classify as “beautiful” colors outside of a handful of elements in the environment, clothing and production design. Black levels are exceptional and very deep with little left to be desired in shadow detail and in resolving crushed blacks. This is a very shadowy film set in darker environments, and this new presentation allows for finer details than ever before. When we find ourselves in more brightly lit environments, white levels are crisp with no trace of blooming within the highlights.
Detail and clarity is greatly improved from the included remastered Blu-Ray, and the transfer thankfully maintains the natural film grain of the presentation without egregious signs of digital management. Grain resolves very well for the most part with it looking sharp and compact. The texture on display in the outfits and within the environments are a revelation compared to past releases. Some gruesome facial details present with impressive and startling clarity. This transfer cleans up most stray specks thanks to the new restoration which allows things to look nearly brand new. There does not appear to be hardly anything in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. There are small moments in this presentation with cooler color timing applied, but it never registers as an issue that would greatly distract. This presentation is a wonderful effort from Kino Classics that gives the film fresh new life.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in English that handle this material favorably. The 5.1 surround track is sturdy and expansive for those looking to engage all of their speakers, and the 2.0 stereo track appears to capture the original intention of the film, although we are not familiar enough with the film to know if it is a fold down of the surround sound track.. The environmental sounds of the city are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any obvious instances of age-related wear and tear.
The track provides palpable tension throughout with a steady sense of forward momentum that comes alive. The score from Michael Small is used perfectly to establish the mood of this odyssey, and this track handles it terrifically throughout the duration of the film. This score complements the rest of the track so that dialogue and environmental effects come through clearly. Kino Classics has done a really good job with this audio presentation. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson provide a new incredibly informative commentary track in which they discuss how this film portrays New York City, the shooting locations, the visual aesthetic of the picture, the themes of the film, the backgrounds of the performers, the legacy of the feature and more.
- The Magic Of Hollywood – Original Making Of Marathon Man: A 21-minute archival piece which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film with an opening speech from Robert Evans and additional comments from John Schlesinger, Dustin Hoffman and others. There is some interesting fly-on-the-wall footage that provides an interesting look at the time as you get some great insights through the interviews.
- Going The Distance – Remembering Marathon Man: A 29-minute featurette which takes a look back at the development of the film, the characters in the film, the structure of the narrative, the film’s enduring reputation and more. There are some terrific insights from producer Robert Evans, screenwriter William Goldman, Roy Scheider, Dustin Hoffman, Marthe Keller and more.
- Rehearsal Footage: A 21-minute look at the preparation that went into creating this film with interviews and footage of the actors working on their performances.
- Radio Spots: A minute-long collection of radio spots are provided here.
- TV Spots: A six-minute collection of TV spots are provided here.
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer for Marathon Man is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Eiger Sanction, The Groundstar Conspiracy, Winter Kills, The Internecine Project, Rosebud, Sudden Terror, Billy Bathgate, Billy Liar, Honky Tonk Freeway and The Falcon and The Snowman.
Final Thoughts
Marathon Man is one of the great paranoid thrillers of the ‘70s which still leaves a mark after all of these years. Dustin Hoffman puts forth a vulnerable performance which has you tensing up and wincing in pain at all the right moments. Some of the interpersonal relationships are slightly thin, but overall this film has so much going for it that it is hard to not become completely invested. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a great array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, it has never looked better. Recommended
Marathon Man is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.