The Manchurian Candidate

Rating:
Summary: An example of brilliant filmmaking
Review: I had heard of this film, but never really took the initiative to see it until I picked it for a writing assignment in a film class. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it really was. I now rank it among my favorite movies. The story is perfectly paced and filled with suprising twists, intrigue and suspense. All of the characters are fleshed out and portrayed brilliantly. The mother (played by Angela Lansbury) is one of the coldest villainesses I've ever come across. A standout performance is given by Laurence Harvey in the role of tragic hero Raymond Shaw. It's too bad his popularity as an actor seems to have waned; he really was wonderfully talented (not to mention quite handsome!). All in all, this film holds its own against any modern political thriller. There are rumors of a remake; let's see it try to beat the original.

Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, well acted, well directed
Review: Lawrence Harvey was a brilliant actor, but one that tended to put people off with his aloofness bordering on arrogance. But this movie is not about likable people. It's about control, dirty politics, communism, and the anti-communist witch-hunts that took their toll on Hollywood and Washington. Harvey's distance works perfectly as Raymond Shaw, but even in the dis-likable Raymond, Frankenheimer pulls out moments of pathos. In a tour de force, Harvey is perfect as the man controlled by his mother, by forces the brainwashed him. He gives a bleak insight into the character of Raymond, a man driven to do things he has no idea why, and man so manipulated by his harpy mother, a 'gun' that has been loaded waiting for the trigger to be pulled, one that kills the woman he loves without hesitation.

But his brilliance does not dominate the film, because there are so many other superb performance by this All Star Cast. And oddly, John Frankenheimer in untypical Hollywood style, cast against roles and demanded such range from all the actors. Angela Landsbury (Murder, She Wrote) built a career of being the person everyone adored, yet in this film she is the woman behind the man...the true power. She is hard-edged, totally manipulative, rather ugly in spirit, and determined at all costs to change the face of US politics. Frank Sinatra, usually Mr. Macho, comes across as a man a tormented by dreams that made no sense, but keep him convinced something is terrible wrong, with him, with Harvey, with all the men of their unit. Many consider this Sinatra's best performance. Janet Leigh is warm as the woman who falls in love with Sinatra, though under used. James Gregory play Landsbury's husband, the wishy-washy Joe McCarthy-type senator, who is merely his wife's mouthpiece and puppet. John McGiver gives a fine supporting performance as the voice of reason, a senator who would block at all costs Landsbury pushing her husband's bid for the presidency.

The edgy, black and white lensing, gives a dated feel to the movie, but actually enforces the cold war era sensation, a perfect medium for Frankenheimer's anti-McCarthyism rant. Landsbury won an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for this performance. It's well deserved.

It's not a likable film, its not a comfortable film and maybe a little hard for younger generations to appreciate the horror, the tension of the cold war and McCarthyism, but is a film so brilliant it needs repeat viewing to appreciate all the small nuances.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but defintely dated
Review: The Manchurian Candidate. Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh, James Gregory. Dir. John Frankenheimer. 1962.

Hailed as a classic by cineastes this weird[]little movie is actually most notable as a record of the American mind-set in the early Sixties. It opens with some US servicemen being kidnapped and imprisoned by North Koreans (coincidentally the same opening scenario as the most recent Bond flick, Die Another Day, so some things never change, it seems). The captives, including Sergeant Shaw (Harvey) and Major Marco (Sinatra), are subjected to brainwashing, which culminates in a bizarre scene where the American prisoners believe that their Communist captors are actually elderly American members of the ladies auxiliary (who even change their race from white to black and back again). We next see the prisoners on their release to the US. Shaw is the son of the Machiavellian Mrs Iselin (Lansbury), who is married to aspiring Presidential candidate Senator John Iselin (Gregory). Shaw, it turns out, is the Commies' brainwashed killer, ready to be triggered by only a phone call and a glimpse of the playing card the Queen of Diamonds. Obviously people played a lot more solitaire back then, so a pack of cards would always have been ready to hand. (Another trivial but enjoyable contemporary detail is the soldiers' warning each other at the start of the movie about quicksand. Whatever happened to quicksand? In the Fifties it was everywhere. Now you never see it in the movies. Not even Bond movies. Did it all dry up because of global warming or what?). In any case, Marco must cope with the after-effects of his own brainwashing, identify Shaw as the (unwitting) killer mole and stop him before he subverts the democratic process (with a rifle).
The movie is well-paced and acted, including a somewhat out-of-place love interest for Sinatra, played by Janet Leigh. Harvey's English accent is also a little odd in such an American movie, but perhaps part of the Hollywood tradition of making every cold fish a Brit. Lansbury (looking not all that different from the way she looks now) is especially effective as a twisted and villainous schemer. The film has its satirical elements as well, although it is not primarily a satire as some reviews seem to suggest. Gregory's portrayal of the craven, red-baiting Senator is particularly entertaining. The score by David Amram is also said to be noteworthy and has even been released on CD (although I didn't pay much attention to it on first viewing).
Where the film is primarily interesting, however, is as a cultural document. The possibility of brainwashing spoke to contemporary anxieties in such a way as to make plausible a plot device which today would seem ludicrous, if not in its substance, then certainly in the way it is presented. Moreover, after the assassination of President Kennedy the film was pulled from distribution by Sinatra (who had bought the rights) and it remained on ice until 1988. This was allegedly in part because of a dispute about profits with the studio but also possibly because of the thematic similarity of the movie and the real event. So both the film and its brainwashing premise packed a weight back then that they simply wouldn't today. Of course, current movies also rely on implausible hypotheses. The Matrix, for example, is wildly implausible. But it simply doesn't feel as silly as the brainwashing scene in Candidate (although viewers in 30 years will likely have a different opinion). What is interesting is how standards regarding the suspension of disbelief change.
The film also brings to mind Alan Pakula's The Parallax View (1974, with Warren Beatty), a movie which is also fascinated by psychological control, and, of course, conspiracy, although it plays on post-Watergate, as opposed to Red Menace, paranoia. The climactic convention scene of Candidate, in particular, is in some ways strikingly similar to the final scenes in Parallax. No doubt both films must have appeared much more chilling on release than they do today. The "psychological" sequence, where Beatty views the Parallax Corporation Audition film, has an especially dated feel.
For those who haven't seen it, The Manchurian Candidate is probably best approached with the expectation of a rather lighter movie than the heavy thriller it is reputed to be. The opening is still striking, although, with the passage of time, and like the film as a whole, perhaps not in quite the way its authors intended.

Rating:
Summary: A hint of nightmares...
Review: Nightmares bother a group of soldiers who have arrived home after the Korean War. Major Marco (Frank Sinatra), who is one of the men suffering from the nightmares begins to investigate their reoccurrence. A frightening detail appears, which indicates that their nightmares are almost the identical. As the clues accumulate the plot thickens and the clues point toward their squad leader in Korea, Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey). Nevertheless, the mystery remains why and how Raymond is involved in their frequent nightmares. Manchurian Candidate keeps the audience in guessing in suspense throughout the film and it does not let go of the audience until the final scene.

Rating:
Summary: All the right moves - but doesn't age so well
Review: I don't think this excellently shot film stands the test of time too well, which is such a pity because the Cold War issues it explores are powerful and impactful, and one can only imagine how relevant the fears of protagonists Captain Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) and Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) are in the Kennedy era (the film turned controversial after the Kennedy assassination, not long after its release).

I especially love the scene where Senator Iselin accuses the Department of Defense of Communist infiltrators at a press conference -- the virtual split screen action between real life shots of the Secretary and the Senator excanging barbs and a TV display was jarring and innovative, a snide remark on advent of television's burgeoning influence on politics.

The film moves at a sluggish pace at times, crippled by some useless screen time from Janet Leigh -- I'm not sure what her purpose as Marco's love interest really serves.

Rating:
Summary: The Manchurian Candidate
Review: Given the current international tension over the nuclear coverup in North Korea, this film is very topical. The Cold War with the Soviet Union might be over, but in addition to our worries about terrorism from Islamic extremists, oriental Communism is still very much alive and able to bite us in the free world. Video and DVD sales have made this powerful film available to a new generation many years after its first release. I had heard about the film myself but had never seen it until recently. Although released in 1962, it virtually disappeared for a quarter of a century. I was somewhat surprised that it was filmed in Black and White, although this very much adds to the atmosphere of suspense.

The premise is a simple one. A group of American soldiers are captured, brainwashed, and later released with false memories. One of their number has been made into an inadvertant tool of the Communists, an assassin they can turn on with a precise trigger mechanism (key words) and a command. The identity of his American handler is a real surprise.

Frank Sinatra gives an incredible performance as the flawed hero. Laurence Harvey is totally believable as the man struggling for love and self realization while being a robotic pawn. James Gregory, without brainwashing, plays a pliant husband and senator to Angela Lansbury, the real power behind the thrown. She proves to be an even greater villain than the Soviets or Koreans who turned her son into a killer. She will use anyone and do anything to assure her power. She is the control freak from hell.

One element that is hinted, but not pursued, is the full dynamic of her relationship with her son. While the book paints a picture of incest, an extended kiss on the mouth is the only allusion to it. Her manipulation and his awakening from it sets the stage for the film's violent conclusion. Her son falls in love with the daughter of a rival senator. Unfortunately, what his mother cannot control, she must destroy.

This film has political intrigue as well as a love story that turns into the worse possible tragedy.

>No nudity or graphic sexual content.
>Tolerable language.
>Disturbing plot violence, not for the little kids.

Given the subsequent assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, the film may be even more unsettling today than when originally released. We know that evil exists and that sometimes it triumphs.

Rating:
Summary: Who's Your Canididate?
Review: What makes The Manchurian Candidate so appealing?

Made with the feel of a Twilight Zone episode, the psychological concerns of the Cold War are totally unearthed in this movie. From patriotic symbology to transitional trickery, the film includes almost everything a film critic desires: realistic drama, non-ending suspense, fight scene, love sequence, stimulating props and locations, and more. I would even go as far as compare it to Nolan's Memento for a 1960's movie audience.

Like many have probably said before me, you would be wise to watch this film a few times over; It's packed with hidden messages 'left and right.' Even if you follow a political viewpoint different from those praised, the concept of political extremism is so fasinating it scares me. The garden scenes are impressive. Sintra, Harvey, and Lansbury's roles are convincing and powerful. These reasons alone place Manchurian Candidate along with my top favorites.

Even though I understand why it was done, I would have to say the only real let down for me is the negative portrayal of women in this film. Janet Liegh serves as every guy's fantasy (who would go dump their fiancee for a sweaty guy who can't even look into her face?) while Angela Lansbury is never given a chance for redemption. Harvey's "Make like a good housewife" quote also is upsetting as well. Although a concern in this film is the role of women after World War II, I would have to say Frankenhimer could have done a better job by not plastering such negative connotations. It would make the movie more believable and user friendly.

Never the less, the Manchurian Candidate has my vote. Sure, the ACLU probably likes it too, yet I can't help it. It's only a movie, right? Left? Hm. Well anyways, this definitely should be the candidate of any DVD collection. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Ahead of its time
Review: The Manchurian Candidate is a great political thriller, so timely in 1962 that it wasn't released, and still greatly relevant today.

The story of a Sergeant in the Korean War brainwashed to assassinate political candidates was a frightening thought in era it was made. So much that Kennedy's assassination kept this movie from distribution for a number of years. Though the thought of brainwashing a trained soldier to turn on his own country, especially in the manner portrayed in the film, may be a little far-fetched, similar scenarios really aren't out of the realm of possibilities, as the world we live in keeps proving.

This early film of director John Frankenheimer (Ronan) is simply very enjoyable. It holds action, drama, and personal conflict all with a satirical edge. The cast, including Frank Sinatra, is good, but Angela Lansbury is particularly impressive as the sergeant's power-hunger mother. More then anything, though, it stands the test of time. The message it gives, that the government needs to be ready for anything all the time, still needs to be heard, learned, and understood today.

Even for those that don't like black and white films might take exception to this movie. The story is so modern, it's easy to forget it was made forty years ago. Check this one out!

Rating:
Summary: Reminds me of a lesser Norman Rockwell painting
Review: The Manchurian Candidate reminds me of a lesser Norman Rockwell painting -slightly stagey- or one of those early Renaissance paintings which have slightly clumsy compositions and proportions that are just slightly off.

There are moments in this movie which are sheer brilliance, including most of the second half. However, there were too many scenes which made me wince to give the movie more than three stars. For example, when the fellow enlisted member of Raymond Shaw's unit has a nightmare, his thrashing around in bed, then the way he woke and clutched his wife had a stagey air too it. Then there was the psychiatrist who was an early 1960s stereotype of a succesful negro. His slicked back hair and almost white skin made me wince. I know it was a product of the time the movie was made, but the character seems to be an attempt to overcompensate for prevailing negative stereotypes. Then there is the amazing way that a beautiful woman falls for an obviously ill stranger she meets on a train, and immediately breaks of her engagement. Happens every day, eh? Then the way Raymond Shaw meets his girlfriend. A snake bite? Which she treats by cutting it with a razor blade and fashioning a constrictor with her blouse? I thought you only did that for venomous snakes? The scene seemed contrived and false. Finally the whole fight scene. It was clumsy and stagey.

There were more moments than these including chunks of dialogue which sounded cheesy.

Thankfully, the second half redeemed the movie as it built through several surprising and shocking events to an excellent climax.

Ultimately, it was like those Renaissance paintings I mentioned at the beginning, beautiful but just not quite right.

Rating:
Summary: Eldorado 59970
Review: This scintillating film delivers a timeless and permanently memorable punch that is deeply Freudian and profoundly misogynist. Its basic theme is that all men are little boys, managed by their mommas. When the masks of the black-and-white mommas slip, they are revealed (behind their hydrangeas) to consist of cohorts of , pretending to be Russians, Manchurians, Koreans, Chinese, Fascists and Communists, but actually non-humans from Outer Space, not Outer Mongolia. Janet Leigh stars as Frank Sinatra's control, code-named Eldorado, assigned to his case by a Colonel of Intelligence, played by Douglas Henderson. Larry Harvey brilliantly portrays the kind, warm, brave and lovable patsy, whose momma, satanic Angela, had him when she was only two. This casting is slightly more realistic than that of Larry Olivier, whose Danish mom was actually 12 years younger than her own son. The body-count in both scenarios is the same (7, all told), and there are other similarities, particularly in the anti-hero's extended inability to root out the rottenness in the state until the climactic final act. Polonius and Ophelia are dispatched rather more brutally than in the earlier play. There is a reference to Orestes, who killed his mother Clytemnestra. There is a pioneering inter-racial karate scene, later parodied by Peter Sellers. There is a Red Queen, but not of Hearts, and a significant chess set. A photo of Jonathan Axelrod is oddly reversed in adjacent mug-shots, and Harvey's forkful of food comes out of his mouth in another scene. Frankenheimer's soporific commentary is full of technical details, and clarifies nothing at all about the plot. This is a great, unforgettable and many-layered movie.