Marathon Man: John Schlesinger Season

'Is it safe?'

The life of university student and aspiring marathon runner Babe Levy (Dustin Hoffman) is turned upside-down when he discovers his brother (Roy Scheider) brutally murdered.  The trail of his killers leads him into a dangerous conspiracy involving a supposedly-dead Nazi, Christian Szell (Laurence Olivier), a former dentist turned concentration camp torturer determined to extract valuable information from Babe.

While Hoffman makes a strong impression as the reluctant hero of director John Schlesinger's first thriller, it's veteran Laurence Olivier who proves triumphant, embodying pure evil in his chilling performance as the 'White Angel' Szell.  His comeback after a string of severe illnesses, the role brought Olivier his second Golden Globe, and an incredible ninth acting nomination at the Oscars.

Screening as part of The Consummate Professional: John Schlesinger at 100, a UK-wide retrospective curated by Marc David Jacobs and Claire Nicolas and taking place from February to May 2026.

For more info on the season, visit https://schlesinger-100.webflow.io/