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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
You will never find a more chillingly suspenseful, perversely funny, or viciously satirical political thriller than The Manchurian Candidate, based on the novel by Richard Condon (author of Winter Kills). The film, withheld from distribution by star Frank Sinatra for almost a quarter century after President Kennedy's assassination, has lost none of its potency over time. Former infantryman Bennet Marco (Sinatra) is haunted by nightmares about his platoon having been captured and brainwashed in Korea. The indecipherable dreams seem to center on Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), a decorated war hero but a cold fish of a man whose own mother (Angela Lansbury, in one of the all-time great dragon-lady roles) describes him as looking like his head is "always about to come to a point." Mrs. Bates has nothing on Lansbury's character, the manipulative queen behind her second husband, Senator John Iselin (James Gregory), a notoriously McCarthyesque demagogue. --Jim Emerson
Product Description
Eerie, shocking, daring, thrilling and mesmerizing, The Manchurian Candidate "will leave you breathless" (People)! Featuring an all-star cast, including Angela Lansbury in an Oscarr-Nominated* performance, this "chilling and controversial" (Leonard Maltin) film "may be the most sophisticated political satire ever made" (Pauline Kael). When a platoon of Korean War GIs is captured, they somehow end up at a ladies' garden club party. Or do they? Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) can't remember. As he searches for the answer, he discovers threads of a diabolical plot orchestrated by the utterly ruthless Mrs. Iselin (Lansbury) and involving her war hero son (Laurence Harvey), her senator husband (James Gregory) and a secret cabal of enemy leaders.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a great DVD with many excellent bonus features, including the Director's commentary that adds so much to the understanding of how the film was made. The film was shot primarily with wide angle lenses which heightens the effect of some very frightening screens. For example is there anything more incredible than the scene where the captured, brainwashed prisoners believe they are attending a ladies' garden party, while actually on stage as human guinea pigs in a meeting of communist cadres. Just an amazing juxtaposition of images! The storyline is well developed and never loses the taut feeling of suspense from start to finish. Laurence Harvey, Frank Sinatra, and Angela Lansbury are particularly fine in their roles. If there is only one criticism, it is that Harvey lapses at times into his original British accent, which is disconcerting. But given the power of his performance in this role, this is a minor detail that can easily be overlooked. The film is shot in black and white, which is far better suited to its cold war images. Just puzzled why MGM issued the cover for this DVD in color? Anyway, highly recommend this DVD!
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
So powerful a cinematic portrait of a potential political assassination is this superb film improbably featuring Frank Sinatra in his finest movie role that it was banned from further release following JFK's murder in Dallas after its original early 1960s big-screen release for several decades. Directed by the near-legendary John Frankenheimer, this riveting screenplay based on the novel written by Richard Condon (Winter Kills) focuses on the way in which propaganda and the manufacture of political views can influence one's perception and behavior in the most provocative of ways. Sinatra's portrait of an officer, Bennet Marco, a man obsessed by his experience as a prisoner of war during the Korean conflict, is truly a maginificent interpretation of a man teetering on the edge of madness, driven by both his nightmares and his conscience to attempt to unravel the mystery by working through the very effective brainwashing accomplished by the North Koreans over a platoon of men Sinatra's character commanded.
Sinatra is more than ably supported by an all-star cast, including Lawrence Harvey as the title character, former Sergeant Raymond Shaw, scion from a wealthy American family who is now a North Korean sleeper, someone brainwashed into becoming a virtual ticking time bomb, set to go off when the sequence of precipitating code words are uttered to him. His suffocating cow of a mother is played extremely well by Angela Lansbury, whose husband (played by James Gregory) is an easily manipulated but McCarthy-like Senator looking to find a way to engineer his progression to the Oval Office.
Through chance conversation with other former fellow POWs, Marco becomes suspicious of his memories, which seem contrived and somehow false, but he has great difficulty (and hallucinatory nightmares) as he agonizes ever closer to uncovering the horrific truth. The plot runs interestingly and unpredictably toward its surprise conclusion, and it is so well choreographed and photographed with Frankenheimer's usual brilliant flair for the visually stunning and surprising, that one is whirled along toward the conclusion with scarcely a moment to reflect on all the twists and turns Marco discovers along the way. This is a terrific thriller, one that has suspense, realistic characters, and the kind of riddle within an enigma plot that should both entertain and edify you all at the same time. Enjoy!
47 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's about time this Cold War classic (based on the novel by Richard Condon) was re-released on DVD with a few extras. I haven't seen the remake yet (and if I do, it'll be purely because Denzel is in it), but it has its work cut out for it if it aims to be as good as the original.
You can read the other reviews if you want plot details. In a nutshell: Laurence Harvey is Raymond Shaw, a sergeant in the U.S. Army captured and brainwashed in Korea along with the rest of his platoon; Frank Sinatra is Maj. Bennett Marco, who was captured and brainwashed with the others; Angela Lansbury is Shaw's mother (even though in real life she was just three years older than Harvey!), a manipulative witch now married to Sen. John Iselin (James Gregory) and conniving to get him into the White House. The problem: the boys are all back home, Shaw has received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the platoon members don't recall their period of captivity, and Marco is having the _strangest_ dreams . . .
The DVD transfer is clear and crisp, and the extras are okay. But the real star is the film itself, which is just absolutely brilliant and sometimes wickedly funny (e.g., exactly _how_ many Communists have been identified? Close-up of a Heinz catsup bottle . . . and the number is . . . ). The psychological tension here is excruciating; the brainwashing sequences alone will give you the willies.
The cast performs flawlessly, with even Sinatra holding his own; Harvey is eerily disturbing and Lansbury is just plain scary. John Frankenheimer's direction deserves all the kudos it received, George Axelrod's screenplay is mostly excellent (the exception being that Janet Leigh's character Rosie is strangely underdeveloped and seems 'tacked on'), and David Amram's score is really cool (I especially like the opening theme).
And as the existence of a remake indicates, the movie is still unfortunately timely (at least in its broad outlines) even though the Cold War is over. As anyone familiar with e.g. the history of LSD is aware, communist regimes weren't the only governments in the world to experiment with mind control.
However good or bad the remake turns out to be, we can at least be glad it provided a commercial incentive to release a new edition of the 1962 original. Grab it while it's available.
You can read the other reviews if you want plot details. In a nutshell: Laurence Harvey is Raymond Shaw, a sergeant in the U.S. Army captured and brainwashed in Korea along with the rest of his platoon; Frank Sinatra is Maj. Bennett Marco, who was captured and brainwashed with the others; Angela Lansbury is Shaw's mother (even though in real life she was just three years older than Harvey!), a manipulative witch now married to Sen. John Iselin (James Gregory) and conniving to get him into the White House. The problem: the boys are all back home, Shaw has received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the platoon members don't recall their period of captivity, and Marco is having the _strangest_ dreams . . .
The DVD transfer is clear and crisp, and the extras are okay. But the real star is the film itself, which is just absolutely brilliant and sometimes wickedly funny (e.g., exactly _how_ many Communists have been identified? Close-up of a Heinz catsup bottle . . . and the number is . . . ). The psychological tension here is excruciating; the brainwashing sequences alone will give you the willies.
The cast performs flawlessly, with even Sinatra holding his own; Harvey is eerily disturbing and Lansbury is just plain scary. John Frankenheimer's direction deserves all the kudos it received, George Axelrod's screenplay is mostly excellent (the exception being that Janet Leigh's character Rosie is strangely underdeveloped and seems 'tacked on'), and David Amram's score is really cool (I especially like the opening theme).
And as the existence of a remake indicates, the movie is still unfortunately timely (at least in its broad outlines) even though the Cold War is over. As anyone familiar with e.g. the history of LSD is aware, communist regimes weren't the only governments in the world to experiment with mind control.
However good or bad the remake turns out to be, we can at least be glad it provided a commercial incentive to release a new edition of the 1962 original. Grab it while it's available.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Genuinely Creepy Story of Brainwashing
Make no mistake: this movie is about brainwashing. The word "candidate" in the title may make you think it is about politics, and it is, but mostly it is about brainwashing. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Barbara Frederick
A complicated movie with little complexity........
The main question that any intelligent, logical person should be asking herself when watching this movie, exciting---- and ambitious as it is (ridiculously so) is to what extent is... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Raymond L. Llompart
Blu-ray Black & White Beauty
Beautiful high quality transfer!I wasn't sure how successful black & white movies would be on Blu-ray. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. C. Hewins
SOME CONTRIVED STUPIDNESS
Frank Sinatra is sweating bullets, can't light a cigarette, has the shakes as though he's a wino----and Janet Leigh the first time she sees him, when he's acting so weird, falls... Read more
Published 8 months ago by sakara
badly formatted
Special edition, eh?
My copy of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is poorly formatted and you have to watch it using a zoom feature on your widescreen TV. Read more
My copy of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is poorly formatted and you have to watch it using a zoom feature on your widescreen TV. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Doreen Appleton
Manchurian Candidate Review
This is a classic movie, and an excellent DVD copy.
I especially enjoyed the special features interviews.
Thanks for a great product.
I especially enjoyed the special features interviews.
Thanks for a great product.
Published 10 months ago by Vernon L. Hensley
manchurian candidate blu ray
Product is excellent and just as described on Amazon, however item was was damaged in transit due to no padding in the packaging. Read more
Published 10 months ago by roger
I invite this author to add a few more names, techniques and agendas I...
Just Following Orders
I'd like to let this author and everyone know what will come out as the greatest espionage coup by the CIA in the history of our nation. Read more
I'd like to let this author and everyone know what will come out as the greatest espionage coup by the CIA in the history of our nation. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Rick A Hyatt
Capt. Marco: "Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most...
URBAN MYTH DEPT.
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE was never withdrawn from circulation after JFK's murder. Read more
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE was never withdrawn from circulation after JFK's murder. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Annie Van Auken
a screwball drama
I appreciate that this was more or less withdrawn discreetly from public view following the JFK assassination, which it eerily preceded by about a year: the movie's conclusion... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Caraculiambro
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