Category Archives: John Schlesinger

1976 Films, Crime Thriller, Dustin Hoffman, John Schlesinger, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, Thriller

Marathon Man-1976

Leave a comment

Marathon Man-1976

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider

Scott’s Review #1,359

Reviewed April 29, 2023

Grade: A-

Writer, William Goldman, was involved in two politically charged, taut thrillers released in 1976 that can easily be watched back to back. Fast-paced and rapidly edited, thrilling action-packed offerings are on the menu.

The Academy Award-winning All the Presidents Men (1976) and Marathon Man (1976) are highly recommended since both are in the same vein. They are part of why I love 1970s cinema so much freedom and rich character development combined with a sole vision are admirable traits.

John Schlesinger, famous for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and other films, directs.

Both films are written by Goldman and each stars actor Dustin Hoffman so the similarities are endless. And yet, each has its own identity.

In Marathon Man, Thomas “Babe” Levy (Hoffman) is a Columbia graduate student and long-distance runner, residing in New York City. His older brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), is a government agent chasing down a Nazi war criminal named Szell (Laurence Olivier).

Babe does not know Doc’s career until a tragic event finds him involved in a plot of stolen gems and sadistic madmen. Even his girlfriend, Elsa (Marthe Keller), becomes a suspect as everything Babe believes to be true is suddenly turned upside down.

At over two hours there is not a slow moment in the film.

We meet Babe as he runs throughout New York City so that the audience learns his obsession with running could correlate to his need to escape from something.

This proves to be true when we learn the brother’s father committed suicide after being investigated during the Joseph McCarthy era when civilians were suspected and accused of being communists.

So, the backstory made me sympathize with Babe and Doc and fleshed them as characters. Hoffman and Scheider are superb and show the different nuances between the personalities of the brothers. Doc is sophisticated and Babe is common, though highly intelligent.

The musical score, created by Michael Small must be mentioned. Oftentimes in film, the score serves as more or less ‘background music’ and can go unnoticed. This is not the case in Marathon Man and several times I noticed the music-enhancing sequences, especially when peril was involved.

I was pleased when I learned that the iconic Laurence Olivier plays the villain, Szell, in the film. He is believable as a vicious German Nazi who specializes in a unique brand of dental work. First blonde and then bald, the physical nature of the role is showcased. He also calmly performs torturous tactics using dental tools.

Marathon Man is made up of a series of scenes that will either enthrall, make the audience squirm, or in some cases both.

Speaking of dental work, any viewer who has a phobia or dislike of going to the dentist may want to fast forward past the sequence when Babe is forced to endure some stylized poking and prodding. Szell and his henchmen are convinced that Babe knows more than he is letting on and are determined to make him reveal all.

Early on, a terrifying scene centering on road rage in Manhattan is as good as it gets and reveals the gist of the plot. Nazis, anti-semitism, and a fiery gasoline truck encompass a speedy and argumentive car chase scene.

The sequence is heart-racing, nail-biting, and revealing.

Others flesh out the film like a quiet lunch at a lovely French restaurant. Doc takes Babe and Elsa out where they dine on lavish courses of creamy, sophisticated cuisine and wine. The richness of the food and culture enhances the earlier scenes set in Paris.

The final thirty minutes of Marathon Man are the best part. A series of shootouts in the suburban rural farmland and foot chases in downtown Manhattan culminate in a showdown between Babe and Szell near a water tank in Central Park.

A strong appeal for viewers is experiencing scene after scene in New York City as many exteriors were shot there.

The plot of Marathon Man (1976) is sometimes too complicated and all events do not add up satisfyingly. The who’s who and realism is a tough sell but it hardly matters. The film entertains and is a high-energy thrill ride and that is more than enough for me.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Laurence Olivier

1971 Films, Drama, Glenda Jackson, John Schlesinger, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Peter Finch

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

Leave a comment

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Murray Head

Scott’s Review #1,062

Reviewed September 15, 2020

Grade: A

Whether it’s the late 1960s style with British sophistication or the ahead-of-its-time subject matter, John Schlesinger’s Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) is a brazen and mature piece of filmmaking.

With fantastic acting mostly on the part of Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch, the film is subdued enough to contain the drama while letting the underlying plot marinate and flourish rather than being forced or overdone.

That’s not to say Sunday Bloody Sunday is an easy watch. The main characters stew and simmer rather than explode as the audience comes to grips with their feelings, emotions, and motivations as painful as they can be.

Schlesinger offers the complexities of the characters as we get inside their heads during multiple scenes as cameras carefully pan in on their facial expressions. The intention is to read their minds or think we know what they are thinking.

The three characters featured are Alex (Glenda Jackson), a divorced and restless recruitment worker, a young, free-spirited artist, Bob (Murray Head), and a gay, Jewish, doctor named Daniel (Peter Finch).

Bob openly dates both Alex and Daniel, who are aware of the existence of the other and even have common friends. Instead of scheming against the other in hopes of poisoning their character with Bob, they deal with acceptance and a host of other emotions.

A triangle ensues, though not one with a clear couple to root for, nor is it clear who we want to root for. Sunday Bloody Sunday is not that trite or simplistic and this is the beauty of the film.

Each character can be analyzed for individual motivations, peculiarities, and desires that sometimes overlap. The added perk of one character being straight, one character being bisexual, and one character being gay only adds flavor and lustful desire. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a character study if ever there was one.

Screenwriter, Penelope Gilliatt, writes a piece so bristling with the unpredictability that the characters and situations are deep and troubling. My favorite character is Daniel, the most adjusted of the three, but a character who would typically be written as the most maladjusted.

Schlesinger had directed the brilliant Midnight Cowboy (1969) two mere years earlier, a film that depicted gay characters as troubled and self-hating. Gilliatt crafts Daniel as confident, successful, and masculine, avoiding all stereotypes.

I immediately had thoughts of Ken Russell’s masterpiece, Women in Love, made only one year earlier in 1970, and starring Jackson. Featuring four characters rather than only three, both films are British and feature the complexities of sexual orientation, jealousy, and loneliness.

Women in Love is a slightly better film, but only by a small margin, probably because there is one additional character to consider. Both explore then barely touched territory when it was still taboo to explore homosexuality in film.

Adorable is a scene at a Bar Mitzvah given to Daniel’s nephew. As the merriment commences several women are bound to be interested in Daniel, what with him being a successful doctor. He doesn’t have any interest naturally but politely makes small talk with one woman.

The scene is so natural and at ease that it is wonderful and reaffirming to see a gay character treated with such dignity and richness, his problems not being a result of being gay but of being a human being.

Daniel and Alex compete for Bob’s affection but in a polite way. Instead of hating each other, they hate the situation. Bob is not the nicest guy in the world so the question can be raised as to why they both feel the way they do about him.

But this hardly matters when the heart wants what it wants.

The most interesting and realistic scenes occur when each couple lies in bed together or makes small talk over a meal. This offers a glimpse of what day-to-day treasures they each could enjoy.

Those in the mood for a film rife with emotion and psychologically complex feelings wrapped inside a good drama will find Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) a pure treat. Trimmings like glimpses of the gorgeous city of London lend themselves to added nuances.

Each time this film is viewed it could easily be watched from the perspective of either Alex, Bob, or Daniel.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-John Schlesinger, Best Actor-Peter Finch, Best Actress-Glenda Jackson, Best Original Screenplay

1987 Films, Jimmy Smits, John Schlesinger, Martin Sheen, Thriller

The Believers-1987

Leave a comment

The Believers-1987

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Martin Sheen

Scott’s Review #547

Reviewed December 12, 2016

Grade: B

The Believers is a very obscure film that I had never heard of before viewing it. Combined with the fact that it was made in 1987 (not a great time for movies) I was skeptical about this one but was pleasantly surprised.

It has some edge to it, is mysterious, and is set in New York City- always a plus for me.

Martin Sheen- merely a youngster when this was made-plays a police psychologist, Cal Jamison, involved in a voodoo serial killer cult.

He moves from Minnesota to New York City following the death of his wife by electrocution, when her coffeemaker malfunctions.

Is this key to the case or a red herring?

The plot is a bit convoluted as when Cal’s son is targeted by the serial killer and when frazzled police officer, Tom Lopez (Jimmy Smits),  takes center stage.

I did not find Smits all too believable in this role, and the film has a striking 1980s feel to it.

The locales, since it was shot in New York, are fantastic, and the plot contains some scares, surprises, and spooky effects along the way.

I also was very impressed by the satisfying ending.

The Believers (1987) is a very good thriller/horror film.

1967 Films, Alan Bates, British, Drama, Epic, John Schlesinger, Julie Christie, Period Drama, Peter Finch, Robert Powell, Romantic Drama, Terence Stamp

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

Leave a comment

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Alan Bates

Scott’s Review #315

70111488

Reviewed January 1, 2016

Grade: A-

A sweeping, gorgeous epic made in 1967, Far from the Madding Crowd is pure soap opera (this is not a negative), done very well, which features a woman with three male suitors and contains many similarities to another brilliant epic, Gone with the Wind.

The cinematography, score, and writing are excellent, and, at close to three hours, are a lengthy experience.

The film is based on the popular novel, written by Thomas Hardy.

The setting is lovely, rural England, the landscape green and lush- mostly farmland, where Bathsheba resides having recently inherited her Uncle’s enormous estate and is, frankly, overwhelmed with the heavy responsibility required to successfully run it.

Three men appear in one form or another to lend a hand and each falls madly in love with her- she had her choice of any of them. Throughout the film, each is given a chance to win her heart, and the trials and tribulations of each occur.

The wealthy neighbor, William Boldwood, is older and insecure. Frank Troy is a bad boy who is a cavalry sergeant, and Gabriel, a former farmer, has lost all of his sheep.

Having only seen this film twice (so far), I notice more and more the similarities to Gone with the Wind. Both are set around the same period (the 1860s) and both films feature very strong, independent, gorgeous female characters with multiple male suitors.

Unlike Gone with the Wind, though, Bathsheba is not self-centered, but wholesome and honest.

Julie Christie was certainly the “it” girl during the time in which the film was made, having recently starred in Darling, and Doctor Zhivago, among others, and Far from the Madding Crowd is a perfect film for her, focusing on her beauty and earnestness.

She is exceptionally cast.

What I enjoy most about the film is we do not know which of the men Bathsheba will wind up with…if any of them. Gabriel Alan Bates) is my personal favorite, but at the beginning of the film, she rebuffs his marriage proposal.

In a heartbreaking scene, one of his dogs goes mad and leads his entire flock of sheep to their death. He then is forced to work as her shepherd, a job beneath him. He is the most likable of the three men and it is fun to root for their ultimate union. But is he prone to bad luck?

Frank Troy is dashing- a clear lady’s man, yet I did not root for him. A character, which I found to have strange motivations, having impregnated, and almost married a young lady named Fanny, only to turn her away based on a misunderstanding, then ultimately change his mind about Bathsheba.

In one scene he manipulates his way into getting the townsmen drunk on brandy, which leads to a crisis. He is charismatic and used to getting his way.

Finally, Boldwood is wealthy and sophisticated and appealing to Bathsheba in a certain way (main stability), but there is also something I find “off” about the character throughout the film- unstable maybe, needy? I did not find his character likable either.

The overlap and the relationships between the men are also interesting aspects of Far from the Madding Crowd. Will they become friends? Would they kill each other for Bathsheba’s affection?

Many emotions run through all four characters, which makes the film rich in character development.

Grand, sweeping, and beautiful are words to describe Far from the Madding Crowd, a film that I enjoy exploring and evaluating upon each viewing.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Music Score

1969 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Drama, Dustin Hoffman, John Schlesinger, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles

Midnight Cowboy-1969

Leave a comment

Midnight Cowboy-1969

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight

Scott’s Review #24

759322

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Midnight Cowboy is a masterpiece from 1969 that remains the only Best Picture Oscar winner to be rated “X” and, sadly, would probably not be made today.

It tells the tale of a friendly, trusting cowboy who moves from Texas to New York City and is challenged to survive the brutal streets any way he can.

Throughout the film, he meets several interesting, unsavory characters and experiences life in the bowels of NYC as drug use and prostitution are explored.

I did not find this to be as much of a downer as many other people did, but rather, a story of survival.

The grittiness of NYC is wonderfully portrayed with many locales being used (Times Square).

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are exceptionally cast and have great chemistry, though the film is by no means a “buddy movie”.

It’s bleak, raw, and intense at times.

Sylvia Miles has a memorable one-scene feature. This is great filmmaking.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-John Schlesinger (won), Best Actor-Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Best Supporting Actress-Sylvia Miles, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Film Editing