MovieChat Forums > Marathon Man (1976) Discussion > Marthe Keller? Not Sexy At All to Me

Marthe Keller? Not Sexy At All to Me

posted 6 years ago by Tabbycat (878)
3 replies | jump to latest

Seeing this at 16, I was too naive to know yet that all Hollywood leads are Supposed To Be Sexy Because We Say So And We Pick The Actors Not You. Since I went to see a thriller, I simply didn’t notice that the lead redhead left me cold until my brother and his friend started salivating. Didn’t get it then, and don’t now. Saw it 40 years later; same result.

Seriously, can someone explain to me exactly what about her is supposed to be attractive?

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

Eh...her voice maybe?

Bitter guys noted at the time that in her topless scene with Hoffman -- right after sex and breathing hard and about to have to "do it again" on horny Hoffman's need -- she seemed to have the flat chest of a man.

But the sex part...

[–] stones78 (426) 3 years ago

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

Regarding the "sex" scene, it seems like she said "I can't" a few times to Babe, then he gets annoyed, and removes himself from her body. Did they do the deed or didn't they? It seemed rather forced to me.

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Oh, they did the deed. Over and over and over, I'd say. "I can't" = "I can't do it one more time. No mas."

There's some characterization going on here. Dustin Hoffman -- the protected star of the movie -- is proving himself a "Marathon Man" in the sack -- the horny little muscleman who can service a woman over and over again. He's also a surrogate for the Dustin Hoffmans in the audience -- little guys.

As for Marthe Keller, I gotta offer that this is a SPOILER:

Keller has been assigned by the bad guys to "get close" to Hoffman, and seduction is how its done. But even Mata Hari had to tap out sometimes. Keller is exhausted from her "assignment.'