THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

The Manchurian Candidate, with its themes of brainwashing, McCarthy-esque political hysteria, and gaining political power at all costs, is still as gripping as I could only imagine it was when the film came out in 1962.

This all-time classic political thriller has not lost any of its potency over the years. In fact, it was deemed so controversial, that star Frank Sinatra buried the film for a quarter of a century because its political assassination plot hit too close to home after President Kennedy was killed.

It it too bad that the idea of political assassinations will always seem timely (the shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona showed that political crazies are as prevalent as ever. The Manchurian Candidate, with its themes of brainwashing, McCarthy-esque political hysteria, and gaining political power at all costs, is still as gripping as I could only imagine it was when the film came out in 1962. The film won Angela Lansbury an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her turn as the power-hungry, over-dominating mother of the main character.

A platoon of GIs return from the Korean war after having been captured by the enemy. One soldier, Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), in particular, is hailed as a hero and is showered with awards on his return. His dominating mother (Lansbury) is delighted, ready to show off her son as a sort of family trophy, to boost the popularity of her senator husband (James Gregory). In the meantime, the other men from Raymond's platoon, including Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra), are having recurring nightmares—strange, disturbing nightmares where they sit at a ladies garden party and watch Raymond coolly kill one of their fellow soldiers.

The Manchurian Candidate is one slowly unfolding puzzle of mystery, intrigue, and tension. Marco is suspicious of hero Raymond, but can't figure out what is going on. It doesn't help that Marco meets a strange, beautiful woman (Janet Leigh), who picks him up as methodically as a brainwashing enemy. Who exactly is the bad guy here? Who is behind the plot to use Raymond Shaw as a programmable assassin? The Manchurian Candidate slowly reveals its cards, keeping you hanging, literally right up until the thrilling end.

The Manchurian Candidate is a classic that may have had to wait a quarter of a century for its accolades, but it was well worth the wait. Angela Lansbury is fantastic and scary, playing a domineering mother to an actor who, at the time, was only 3 years younger than her. Frank Sinatra, seemingly constantly sweaty, paranoid, and exhausted, takes the role of the audience's eyes and ears, as he slowly tries to unravel what exactly happened to his platoon in Korea. And Laurence Harvey (despite his slightly distracting, slipping accent), makes an excellent pawn, both unlikable, yet pathetic. This is one of those thrillers worth repeated viewings. There is so much going on here, that you could only wish that all thrillers were this rich and satisfying.

BLU-RAY NOTES

Considering that this film is 50 years old, it is hard to complain when the extras are older, too, considering that many of those involved are not around anymore. There is an interview with Frank Sinatra, George Axelrod, and director John Frankenheimer, and well as commentary by Frankenheimer. Along with the original theatrical trailer, the Blu-Ray also includes three interesting featurettes: "Queen of Diamonds," "A Little Solitaire," and "How to Get Shot".