merelyaninnuendo The Manchurian CandidateThe politics mishap gives it all away due to the structure of the script that build up in front of the audience without any security allowing the audience to breach it easily after which they find themselves waiting to attain a closure to the makers, actors and including themselves too. It is short on technical terms like sound department and production design although is edited perfectly. The script isn't as convoluted as the writers thinks which creates this portal of loop where the audience finds themselves outside the act rather than sinking into it. John Frankenheimer; the director, had done a tremendous work on executing this political plot driven thriller whose trump card up the sleeve isn't enough for it to win the game. The performance objective is nicely handled by Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey on their parallel role and so are Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury as a supportive cast. There are few scene shot beautifully as they lift up the intensity and the stakes on the screen, creating an energy that can easily be fed to the audience throughout the course of it. The Manchurian Candidate isn't worthy to be elected but can definitely be the "safe" choice to go with.

elvircorhodzic THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is a suspense thriller drama, which is full of disturbing anxiety and intimidation in a "colorful" political game. It is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Condon.During the Korean War, the Soviets capture a U.S. platoon and take them to Manchuria in Communist China. A few days later, most of the soldiers have returned to American lines, and one sergeant has received the Medal of Honor, because, according to a report of a captain, he has rescued his comrades. However, unsympathetic character of a young sergeant, which is mentioned in earlier reports, is now under question. The soldiers are behaving pretty strange. They suffer from a recurring nightmare in which a hypnotized sergeant demonstrates murder. The captain wants to investigate that strange phenomenon, but has no solid evidence to back his claims and thus receives no support from Army Intelligence. Meanwhile, a sergeant mother drives a political career of her husband and his stepfather, who is a demagogue and widely dismissed as a fool. A desperate captain will have to connect all the strings in a dangerous and dirty political game...This is a very intelligent story, which could cause determination consequences to the viewers, given the political environment. A brainwashing has a double meaning in this case. It is trapped between political conflicts and fear of a certain ideology. A political manipulation is in contrast with the logic and free thinking. That topic is fairly well covered in the film. A tension is a consistent segment, but the direction is uncertain, because some key scenes are not convincing. The balance between the main protagonists is lost through satirical reflections or ironic attitudes.A paranoid-depressive atmosphere is very good, while the characterization could be a lot better. The plot has lost its sharpness and direction in the second part of the film.Frank Sinatra as Maj. Bennett Marco is a generator of a turn in the story. He is a quite unconvincing character, although well developed, especially in the second part of the film. Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw is impressive as a hypnotized killer. He is a victim and villain at the same time. Mr. Harvey has offered a very good performance.Their support are Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Iselin) as a dominant and intense character. She is a mother, wife and agent "of dark forces" at the same time. James Gregory (Sen. John Yerkes Iselin) is her puppet and a vulgar politician with a fake and unconvincing stance. Janet Leigh (Eugenie Rose Chaney) has, given the timing of her appearance in the film, received too little space in the film. There is a romance between her and Maj. Marco, which is on the verge of absurdity.Frankly, I do not like this idea, but this shocking conspiracy thriller is not bad.

Hitchcoc One has to have a bit of suspension of disbelief to really totally embrace this movie. What I mean is that there are so many variables that could go wrong. Still, it is a startling film that will stay with you for decades. A group of men have been imprisoned in Manchuria where they are subjected to brainwashing and hypnosis. They have been give post- hypnotic suggestions which will cause them to act in a certain way. One of the men, who supposedly saved them all, is the pivot man. He is spoken of by his men as the greatest thing ever. In reality, in the minds of the men, he is an unapproachable, cruel man. The other things that he is are revealed as the movie progresses. Angela Lansbury plays the wife of a political candidate. She is dangerous and is connected n a sick way to her son. She is working to get her husband elected President. One criticism of the film is the use of hypnosis and its implications but this is still a tense, enjoyable film.

vikingcapt I have always loved this movie and the first time I saw it was within a year after JFK was assassinated. I wonder these days if the Army DIA assisted or consulted with the movie.Did the director get all his input from the book?Did the author consult? The post Korean War era was sprinkled with stories of Brainwashing of US POW's captured during the Korean War. Generally speaking POW's captured during WWII were interrogated ,sometimes very brutally. The other intriguing parallel is that this movie was due to be released in the Fall of'63 but was delayed for several months after the JFK assassination. I don't believe there was a connection to this movies theme but the Oswald role in the JFK killing and this storyline are more than interesting?? I wish someone who worked on the creative /production side of the movie could enlighten some of us fans.