Review of The Manchurian Candidate (1962) by Bob V — 19 Mar 2011

Surprisingly, John Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate is as fresh a film today as it was in 1962. Harvey and Sinatra lead the talented cast with colorful performances and an array of memorable quotes. The story is so intriguing and is definitely complex enough to bring forth multiple viewings, but the script and direction are masterful enough to prevent it from getting ahead of itself and keep its idea comprehensible throughout.

The first character introduced to audiences is Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), a U.S. soldier in the Korean War. He is the step-son of a U.S. senator (James Gregory) and his mother (Angela Lansbury) is also very active in his campaigning. Shaw is loathed by his men, and even deems himself.

As an "unlovable" person. One night in Korea, a group including Shaw and another officer named Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is captured by the enemy while on patrol.

The next the audience sees of the men, they are back in America, where Shaw is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and Major Marco is haunted by the same reoccurring dream about the days he was held prisoner in the war. He mentions this dream to his fellow officers, but nothing becomes of it until he finds that one of his comrades is having the exact same dream.

Marco investigates carefully and eventually stumbles on an intricate plot to assassinate a presidential candidate. Even more shocking is that one of the men he was captured with was brainwashed and hypnotized to do the killing for the conspiracy. When the man goes on rampage murdering innocent people, the major must work to stop the assassin.

Perhaps the best scenes of The Manchurian Candidate lie in the last half of an hour. For the suspense in the assassination scene is superbly heart-pounding, and Sinatra's final lines will not soon be forgotten. This piercing political thriller is truly wonderful, full of suspense and a plot too interesting to pass up, it is a sure must-see.