Search - The Manchurian Candidate

An unusually tense and intelligent political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate was a film far ahead of its time. Its themes of thought control, political assassination, and multinational conspiracy were hardly common currency in 1962, and while its outlook is sometimes informed by Cold War paranoia, the film seemed nearly as timely when it was reissued in 1987 as it did on its original release. It opens with a group of soldiers whooping it up in a bar in Korea as their commander, Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), arrives to inform them that they're back on duty. These men obviously have no fondness for Shaw, and he feels no empathy for them. While on patrol, Shaw and his platoon are ambushed by Korean troops. Months later, Shaw is receiving a hero's welcome as he returns to the United States to accept the Congressional Medal of Honor, and several of the soldiers who served under Shaw repeatedly refer to him as "the bravest, finest, most lovable man I ever met." It soon becomes evident that after their capture by the Koreans, Shaw and his men were subjected to an intense program of brainwashing prior to their release. While several are troubled by bad dreams and inexplicable behavior, it's Capt. Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) who seems the most haunted by the experience. In time, Marco is able to piece together what happened; it seems Raymond Shaw was programmed by a shadowy cadre of Russian and Chinese agents into a killing machine who will assassinate anyone, even a close friend, when given the proper commands. On the other side of the coin, Shaw is also used for political gain by his harridan mother (Angela Lansbury), who guides the career of her second husband, John Iselin (James Gregory), a bone-headed congressman hoping to win the vice-presidential nomination through a campaign of anti-Communist hysteria.

The Manchurian Candidate features a host of remarkable performances, several from actors cast cleverly against type. Frank Sinatra's edgy, aggressive turn as Marco may be the finest dramatic work of his career; Laurence Harvey's chilly onscreen demeanor was rarely used to s better advantage than as Raymond Shaw; James Gregory is great as the oft-befuddled Senator Iselin; and Angela Lansbury's ultimate bad mom will be a shock to those who know her as the lovable mystery writer from Murder, She Wrote. George Axelrod's screenplay (based on Richard Condon's novel) is by turns compelling, witty, and horrifying in its implications, and John Frankenheimer's direction milks it for all the tension it can muster. While Frankenheimer's career has had its ups and downs, The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds (1966) suggest that he deserves to be recognized as one of the most brilliantly paranoid American filmmakers of the '60s. Entertaining yet unsettling, both films indicate that things in the '60s were not what they seemed, with a resonance that still echoes uncomfortably in the present. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Frank Sinatra - Bennett Marco
Laurence Harvey - Raymond Shaw
Janet Leigh - Rosie
Angela Lansbury - Mrs. Iselin
Henry Silva - Chunjin

1962	Best Film - Any Source (nominee)	British Academy of Film and Television	John Frankenheimer
1962	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	John Frankenheimer
1962	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	Golden Globe	Angela Lansbury
1962	Best Director (nominee)	Golden Globe	John Frankenheimer
1962	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Ferris Webster
1962	Best Supporting Actress (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Angela Lansbury
1962	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	National Board of Review	Angela Lansbury

A brilliant movie that successfully straddles the lines between suspense, black comedy, politics, romance, and social commentary, The Manchurian Candidate gets a fine DVD release. The widescreen transfer shows off Lionel Lindon's striking black-and-white cinematography and the Dolby soundtrack is equal to the one used in the film's 1987 theatrical re-release. This DVD edition makes plain that even without parallels with real political assassinations and fabricated scandals, The Manchurian Candidate would succeed as a movie. Frankenheimer's no-nonsense DVD audio commentary states that the film was a balancing act between plot and character and he gives ample credit to the superb cast. The commentary is full of silent stretches, but it's refreshing to have a director speak only when he's got something to say. Frankenheimer points out the contributions made by Lindon and production designer Richard Sylbert, and contrasts Axelrod's changes to Richard Condon's book. Besides knowing when to stick with the book and when to add his own touches, Axelrod slightly reworked Condon's ending and made it infinitely more powerful. Also included on the DVD is a short 1987 interview with Frankenheimer, Axelrod, and Frank Sinatra in which the humbled singer shows off his disfigured hand that was broken during the movie's kung-fu sequence. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide

These movies have the touch and feel of The Manchurian Candidate...
39	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (PG)
1	The Bad Sleep Well
3	Winter Kills (R)
11	The China Syndrome (PG)
6	The Parallax View (R)
3	The Defiant Ones (NR)
8	The Manhattan Project (PG-13)
12	Network [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (R)
S	King of Hearts (NR)
11	In Cold Blood (R)
?	Angels Over Broadway (NR)
6	My Darling Clementine
6	Point Blank (NR)
9	The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG)
1	Shoot the Piano Player (NR)
2	Charles Chaplin: Monsieur Verdoux (NR)
10	Stalag 17 (NR)
These movies have the subject or theme of The Manchurian Candidate...
6	The Parallax View (R)
8	The Third Man [Special Edition] (NR)
9	The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG)
25	JFK [Special Edition] (R)
4	The Ipcress File (NR)
10	Blow Out (R)
21	The Man Who Knew Too Much
4	The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (NR)
2	The Amateur (R)
5	Torn Curtain (PG)
S	The Gregory Peck Film Collection
2	The Whistle Blower (PG)
1	Funeral in Berlin (NR)
S	Arab Conspiracy (R)
2	Mackintosh Man (PG)
7	The Eiger Sanction (R)
14	The Russia House (R)
21	The 39 Steps [Special Edition]
5	Alfred Hitchcock Collection, Vol. 1: Sabotage
7	Foreign Correspondent (NR)
These movies share cast/crew with The Manchurian Candidate...
24	Ocean's Eleven (NR)
4	The Holcroft Covenant [Widescreen] (R)
7	Seconds (R)
S	The Lady Vanishes (NR)
1	The Picture of Dorian Gray (NR)
2	Seven Days in May (NR)
10	Touch of Evil (NR)
1	The Silencers (NR)
9	Suddenly
6	Gaslight (NR)
2	Matt Helm Lounge (NR)
1	Frank Sinatra: Tony Rome (NR)
S	How to Murder Your Wife (NR)
3	The Detective (NR)
8	Death on the Nile (PG)
These movies cover the same subjects as The Manchurian Candidate...
7	Seconds (R)
These movies are similar to The Manchurian Candidate...
10	Blow Out (R)
11	The Conversation (PG)
S	Executive Action (PG)
9	The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG)
6	The Parallax View (R)
3	Winter Kills (R)
39	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (PG)
1	The Mind Benders (NR)
33	Snake Eyes (R)
?	Live Wire: Human Timebomb (R)