Suspense within Marathon Man

Marathon Man

Marathon Man (1976) produced by Paramount and directed by John Schlesinger is a very great example of a thriller as it contains a lot of suspenseful scenes which builds up tension within the audience.

The first suspenseful scene we see in Marathon Man (1976) is when we first see the main character Babe running. The main suspense created is by the use of the match cut as we first see his feet while he is running then his shadow. The non-diegetic music played within the background also creates tension.

The next suspenseful scene we see is when the two old men start racing in the car. The scene starts of with them arguing while driving which leads them to race each other. However the suspense is introduced later in the scene by the use of cross cut. While the two men race down the streets of New York, the camera also show a man trying to reverse a truck full of fuel. The fact that the camera cross cuts between the two men racing and the truck back and forward we know that the two scenes are linked with each other which then creates suspense. The non diegetic within the background also creates tension.


Another suspenseful moment within the Marathon Man is when we see Babe’s brother followed by a man with a buggy. The suspense is created by just showing the feet of the guy and the buggy. This use of suspense is then continued as the man leaves the buggy and walks off. We then hear a diegetic noise of a clock ticking which clearly expresses us the idea of their being an explosion within the scene. However the non-diegetic music played within the background tends to calm the clock ticking but creates even more suspense. This gives a funny feeling to the audience as it makes them not aware of what is to happen next although an explosion is expected. The fact that the camera then zooms into the buggy showing the plastic doll inside creates more tension and suspense while the ticking clock gets louder. There is a moment of silence before the explosion which is unusual within the scene which clearly defines to the audience that something is going to happen next. The scene then finishes of with an explosion.



Overall I believe that the use of suspense within the Film Marathon Man is used in an very effective way as it manages to build tension and create suspense within the audience and in the film itself.