MovieChat Forums > Marathon Man (1976) Discussion > Couple of questions

Couple of questions

posted 10 years ago by SueBee55
5 replies | jump to latest

I've always meant to see this film and it was on TV the other night so recorded it. I found the plot quite obscure and would be grateful if anyone can provide an answer to these questions!

- When Szell's brother was in the bank he took out a bandage tin and put it in his pocket, then passed it to someone in a blazer in the street outside. Who was this and why did he pass it on? (At the end of the film there is a bandage tin in the briefcase that Laurence Olivier is carrying.)

- Why did Olivier stab Doc?

- Why did Janeway shoot the Marthe Keller character? Was he a baddie all along?

Grateful for any elucidation!

(I love 1970's films set in New York. It always looks so sleazy, particularly The French Connection! I bet all those down at heel streets are full of chichi apartments now, like in London. There are no real working class areas any more in London.)

[–] malkycombat 10 years ago

Oh and Captain_Augustus_McCrae shut up you wanka

Here is my assertation.

The bandage tin is where the diamonds were kept, I can only surmise that the diamonds were moved from place to place for safety's sake- remeber when he (Svell's brother) was burning he tried (unsuccesfully)to make the key safe... When he passed the diamonds on to someone else I first thought that this could have been to Doc but obviously not. This might also explain why Szell stabbed Doc because he (Szell) sussed that Doc did not have the diamonds. Janeway who was also a fixer and always on the nazis side shot Elsa (who was nothing but a honey trap) had actually fallen in love with Babe and was trying to save him from being shot by Janeway.

My question is how did Szell eventually end up with the diamonds?

[–] SueBee55 10 years ago

Thanks for that. I guess there are some films that will always have question marks and we must just accept them or put our own interpretations on them as you have. Pity there aren't more films like that now instead of Jason Statham type shoot em ups! This film really makes you think.

[–] jwalsh67 10 years ago

The person in the blazer was Doc who was serving as a courier. We later see Doc in Paris taking the bandage tin out of his suitcase and burying it in a gift box of chocolates for safe transfer to LeCleuque (sp).

Szell stabbed Doc mainly because he hated him. Doc was disrespectful and untrustworthy in Szell's mind, and he didn't want him interfering with the diamond transaction he was about to conduct.

Janeway shot Marthe as a punishment for shouting to Babe to warn him.

My question is, why did Janeway give Levy the location of Szell's diamond bank if he planned on shooting him (aside from helping the plot along)? He could have just made up an address.

He who conquers himself is mightier than he who conquers a city.

[–] SueBee55 10 years ago

Thanks, I had a feeling it was Doc,had forgotten about him unpacking the tin. There are still unanswered questions in this film but I guess that's what makes it compelling! We don't seem to get films like this any more. Everything has to be spelled out as if we were kids.

[–] oldgoatee 8 years ago

Doc was an ethnic Jew, that was reason enough for Szell to kill him