The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate: A Review

I saw this chilling, horrifying and brilliantly tragic film for the first time yesterday. Released in 1962, the film stars Frank Sinatra as Major Ben Marco of the US Army, Laurence Harvey in the title role and Janet Leigh (Psycho) as Sinatra's love interest. In a spine-tingling Hitchcockian vein, the film tells the story of a US Army troop that is taken captive during the Korean War and transported to Manchuria, China, where they are systematically brainwashed by the Communist top brass. One of them, Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Harvey) is turned into a cold-blooded assassin who responds to a post-hypnotic suggestion. The troop is returned to the US, following which some of the soldiers (Sinatra and a couple of others) are haunted by recurrent dreams about their experiences, erased from conscious memory. The film is a chilling investigative story in which Sinatra (Major Ben Marco) attempts to figure out the reality of what happened back in Manchuria, in a desperate race to prevent a tragedy from unfolding. Relentlessly engaging and shocking, the film raises some profound questions concerning 20th century culture. Noteworthy performances by Angela Lansbury as a ruthlessly political dragon lady and James Gregory as John Iselin, a grimly comical McCarthyesque senator and husband of Lansbury. Directed by John Frankenheimer, the film is highly acclaimed critically. Sinatra cites this cold war thriller about political mind-games as the best film he ever made.

Totally agree this is one of my all time favourite films and a superb political thriller. A truly inspired story is bought to life by a stellar cast under the expert direction of John Frankenheimer (Seconds, Birdman Of Alcatraz).

Angela Lansbury creates one of the most vile charecters to ever hit the screen & Frankie boy is at his best trying to solve the riddle. Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh also turn in top notch performances all the cast create charecters you wont soon forget.

The B&W cinmeatography is superb with controlled camera moves and excellent use of shadows. The visuals are all complimented by the score and it lifts the tension throughout.

Absolute must see entertainment for fans of quality cinema that makes you think and provides food for thought after the final credits have rolled.


PS- The most devastating news Ive heard all year is that there planning on remaking this masterpiece as a middle east propaganda film. Worse still is that much like The Italian Job remake, which doesnt even have a scene in Italy This one will have nothing to do with Manchuria.

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******"The Majority Is Always Wrong" Steve Mcqueen in Enemy Of The People******

Just wondering, what are some of your 10/10 films Deckard?

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"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" - Howard Beale

har har, i liked this movie a lot. most embarrasing though, that when i first saw it at my friend's house i was in eighth grade and his mother forced us to watch it. lots of hemming and hawing when we discovered we were being forced to watch a movie that wasnt in color.... like i said, embarrasing. turns out it's a great movie. also liked 'seconds'. will have to check out that other one you mentioned, deckard.

lawrence harvey was the guy who played the son? he was sort of a vain little prick character, as i remember, but also sort of likeable, same with his girl, i liked that sort of "dreamy little kids in love" thing they had going, somehow worked for me against the backdrop of all that cynical plotting [hmm, reminds me a little now maybe of like 'night of the hunter'?]. not sure how much i could ever really believe frankie as an actor, no matter what he just comes across as a pop sensation whenever i see him. maybe just too much saturation... but i liked him, and yeah, the real winner here was definitely lansbury' villianous bitch-goddess: dunno, but that whole vague incest thing too: naughty, naughty! very good noirish movie.

Hey Beale I have never given a 10/10 for a film. The reason is purely egotistical, I figure that the only truly perfect film will be one I make.

I also can never name favourites or compile list in ranked order because I qlways feel Im neglecting so many faves. With that in mind I do grant 9.5/10's to certain films such as:


Coppolla's THE GODFATHER & THE CONVERSATION
Sidney Lumet's 12 ANGRY MEN & DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Orson Welles THE TRIAL & CITIZEN KANE,
John Huston's THE ASHPHALT JUNGLE & TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE,
Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE & 2001
Hitchcock's VERTIGO & SHADOW OF A DOUBT
Jean Pierre Melville's LE SAMOURAI
Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER
Richard Kelly's DONNIE DARKO
Staurt Rossen's THE HUSTLER
Christopher Nolan's MEMENTO
Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
Coen Brother's MILLER's CROSSING
John Frankenheimer's SECONDS
Alan J Pakula's THE PARRALAX VIEW
Adrian Lyne's JACOBS LADDER
Sam Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH
William Friedkin's THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Carol Reed's THE THIRD MAN
Billy wilder's DOUBLE INDEMNITY

This list should give you an idea where Im coming from

I really shouldn't give number ratings as my big fault is that Im not consistent and so my ratings sometimes vary slightly and the difference between a 9/10 and a 9.5/10 is really negligable.......depends on my mood.

Cool. Just wondering. Thanks!

What really struck me about this film is how cold-blooded, cynical politics destroys the life of the Harvey character and how everyone concerned is powerless to do anything to prevent it. Besides the Hitchcockian overtones (most obviously, Psycho, with the presence of Janet Leigh as Sinatra's girlfriend), I saw Shakespearian motifs in the film as well--most notably, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. I thought Laurence Harvey did a great job as the cold-blooded psychotic murderer who finds himself at odds with his own humanity in the context of a grim cold-war political struggle and McCarthyesque politics. A very profound and thought-provoking political thriller, besides being a really chilling suspense film. Frank Sinatra did a great job in a tough-guy role, but I thought Harvey stole the show in his rendition of a really disturbed character who is both repulsive and sympathetic at the same time.