"Is it Safe?". If you haven't seen Marathon Man before, then these three, simple words will mean nothing to you. But if you have, then this iconic line will no doubt send a shiver down your spine as the memory of Dustin Hoffman sitting in a chair, with Sir Larry Olivier hovering above him with intent, comes flooding back.

This now infamous scene has since entered into cinematic legend, and quite rightly too. But this 1976 film has so much more going for it than some poorly executed dental treatment.

Two men get into an altercation whilst driving on the streets of New York. This bout of road rage ends badly for the pair, as they both die as a result. One of the deceased just so happens to be the brother of a notorious Nazi war criminal Dr. Szell (Laurence Olivier), aka the White Angel.

Knowing that his brother is dead, Szell comes out of hiding, as there's a considerable stash of diamonds in the city that only he and his brother had access to.

Meanwhile student Babe (Dustin Hoffman), gets an unexpected visit from his brother Doc (Roy Scheider), who has just returned from Paris. As far as Babe is concerned, Doc is a successful businessman. Little does he know however that his brother is, in actual fact, an agent working for a secret agency, who knows all about Szell.

Although Doc's reappearance in Babe's life would normally be a happy one, his seedy connections with the criminal world soon bleed over into Babe's world, making him a target for all concerned; they want to know exactly how much Babe knows and are prepared to go to extreme lengths to find out.

The practical joke went too far when the finishing line was stolen for the annual semi-nude marathon fun run.

Although genuinely considered a classic now, the film suffered at the Oscars in a truly competitive year, that only saw it garner one solitary nomination (in the Best Supporting Actor category for Olivier's performance, which he didn't win); it was the year (1977) that saw cinematic heavyweights Taxi Driver, Network, Bound for Glory and All the President's Men all in contention for Best Picture, only to be beaten to the punch by Sly Stallone's Rocky.

But as we all know so well, Oscar doesn't always get it right, and certainly William Goldman's script was heinously overlooked and deserved, at the very least, a nomination. It's a testament to his writing ability that film is just as sharp and dramatic now as it was then.

British director John Schlesinger (who made an impact with his earlier film Billy Liar) injected the film with a supreme sense of anxiety and fear that is still resolutely intact to this day. He also got a great performance out of Hoffman, who he had worked with on Midnight Cowboy previously. And of course he allowed Olivier to give a truly dark and terrifying edge to his role as Szell.

It has to be remembered however that the film has three strong roles, with the third being delivered with real energy by Roy Scheider. Scheider doesn't get nearly as much recognition for the integral part that his character plays in proceedings, or his smart portrayal of him.

Although the film is thirty seven years old, it still retains its cinematic impact and also serves as an elegant piece of film-making aimed at an adult audience.

This Blu-ray's biggest disappointment is the lack of any extras whatsoever, with just its high-def make-over on the disc. It's the sad omission of any kind of extras that knocks a boom of its overall score.

This film was made during a time in cinema history that seemed more concerned with the telling of stories rather than the box office numbers resulting from them. Marathon Man is the perfect example of films of this period, combining a riveting story with some intelligent acting, both of which have stood the test of time exceptionally well.

It's a must-see film for any true lover of the medium; a word of caution however: just don't see it before any impending dental appointments.