7.2
Summary
A graduate student and obsessive runner in New York is drawn into a mysterious plot involving his brother, a member of the secretive Division.
Cast
Dustin Hoffman
Babe
Laurence Olivier
Szell
Roy Scheider
Doc
William Devane
Janeway
Marthe Keller
Elsa
Fritz Weaver
Professor Biesenthal
Richard Bright
Karl
Marc Lawrence
Erhard
Allen Joseph
Babe's Father
Tito Goya
Melendez
Ben Dova
Szell's Brother
Lou Gilbert
Rosenbaum
Jacques Marin
LeClerc
James Wing Woo
Chen
Nicole Deslauriers
Nicole
Lotte Palfi Andor
Old Lady on 47th Street
Lionel Pina
Street Gang
Church
Street Gang
Tricoche
Street Gang
Jamie Tirelli
Street Gang
Wilfredo Hernández
Street Gang
Harry Goz
Jewelry Salesman
Michael Vale
Jewelry Salesman
Fred Stuthman
Jewelry Salesman
Lee Steele
Jewelry Salesman
William Martel
Bank Guard
Glenn Robards
Plainclothesman
Ric Carrott
Plainclothesman
Alma Beltran
Laundress
Daniel Nunez
Guard in Uruguay
Anthony Pena
Guard in Uruguay
Chuy Franco
Guard in Uruguay
Billy Kearns
Tourist Couple
Sally Wilson
Tourist Couple
Tom Ellis
T.V. Announcer
Bryant Fraser
Young Photographer
Igor Dega
Hotel Valet
Gene Bori
French Doctor
Annette Claudier
Nurse
Roger Etienne
Headwaiter
Raymond Serra
Truck Driver
John Garson
Bystander
Charlott Thyssen
Bystander
Estelle Omens
Bystander
Madge Kennedy
Lady in Bank
Jeff Palladini
Young Babe
Scott Price
Young Doc
Abebe Bikila
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
S.C. Dacy
Innocent Bystander (uncredited)
Bobra Suiter
Woman (uncredited)
William Magerman
Accident Witness (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister
Mechanic (uncredited)
Irving Metzman
Accident Witness (uncredited)
Monty O'Grady
Agent (uncredited)
N.J. Osrag
Accident Witness (uncredited)
Harrison Ressler
Diamond District Patron (uncredited)
Louis Tanno
Man (uncredited)
Mark L. Taylor
Columbia Student (uncredited)
Treat Williams
Central Park Jogger (uncredited)
Crew
Director
John Schlesinger
Novel, Screenplay
William Goldman
Reviews
Geronimo1967
July 2, 2022
7
As a man who quite literally loathes the very idea of a dentist, let alone actually going to visit one - this film adds an extra dimension of ghastliness to the already fairly hideous underlying premiss. That centres around "Babe" (Dustin Hoffman). He is an ordinary history student who is horrified when his older brother is brutally murdered. Why? Well, he sets out to investigate and before long is embroiled in a nazi-hunting plot to track down "Szell" (Sir Laurence Olivier) who is, himself, trying to stay one step ahead of some government agents whilst he tries to track down an huge cache of diamonds. It turns out that this evil creature thought the now deceased brother knew the location of the gems, and of course that puts "Babe" in quite considerable peril and so soon, he is next on the interrogation list. This torture gives the idea of getting a drilling an whole new meaning, as the sound of the dental whirring does more than enough to compensate for the lack of actual visuals. Though the ending is fitting, I found it all just a bit too convenient, but Hoffman is superb here, as are Sir Laurence and an international cast that add depth to this really quite disturbing plot. Even now, when we are so much more used to graphic violence and gore on screen, this is potently gruesome and effective.
