The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Screenplay by George Axelrod, based on the book by Richard Condon
126 minutes,
Not rated.
Hollywood loves a remake! And with the remake of The Manchurian Candidate right around the corner I thought it would be a good time to revisit the original. One of John Frankenheimer’s best films, The Manchurian Candidate was released in 1962 only to be pulled from circulation in 1963 by Sinatra when the JFK assassination had life imitating art a little too closely.
The original film has aged over the years. Much of the plot deals around evil Communists as they try to gain political pull within the United States. A group of soldiers get captured in Korea then get their brains “washed and dry cleaned” by a group of Chinese and Russian military leaders and scientists. They pick one to be their hit man and erase the memories of the remaining men. Two years later some of the men start having nightmares, recalling the sessions they went through. That starts the turn of events.
I’ll leave the plot at that for those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this film yet. The Manchurian Candidate is one of the best films of the 1960s. It’s made in the style of the studio pictures of the 50s and 40s. It is, in many ways, light years from the Hollywood “new wave” of the late sixties, which made so many American directors famous.
The acting is first rate. Sinatra gives one of, if not his best performance. Laurence Harvey is perfect as the brainwashed hit man who tries to do right. And Angela Lansbury gives one of the most chilling performances by a female of all time. It’s been rumored that Sinatra wanted Lucille Ball for the Lansbury role, that would’ve been interesting, although Lansbury almost steals the show.
The remake is, of course, different. A different setting in time and I’m sure the Communists are replaced with people from, well let’s think…the Middle East! The cast looks solid with Denzel Washington playing the Sinatra role and Meryl Streep doing Lansbury. Who knows, it could just work. Of course Jonathan Demme hasn’t had the best luck with remakes. Remember The Truth About Charlie? Don’t worry, neither does anyone else. Demme is in dire need of a hit to take him back to his glory days. We’ll have to see in a few weeks if he has accomplished that.
But, before you run out and spend your $10 on the remake, do yourself a favor and rent the original. A new special edition DVD has just been released, and it’s a steal for the price. Why Hollywood continues to remake the classics baffles the mind. They should remake the films that didn’t work the first time around, not the ones that were perfect. The Manchurian Candidate is one of those perfect films.
Grade: A
Written by David Bohnert