“A THRILLER FOR ELECTION YEAR”

By Raymond Benson

John Frankenheimer’s 1962 political thriller, based on Richard Condon’s 1959 novel, is more relevant today than it has been in the intervening years since its original, timely release. Back then, we were in the midst of the Cold War and treading treacherous waters with the Soviet Union. The picture originally hit the theaters during the thirteen-day Cuban Missile Crisis of October, so it served as a cautionary tale, a propaganda piece, and a scary, suspenseful nail-biter. After the Cold War ended, The Manchurian Candidate maintained its reputation as an excellent piece of cinema, but its political ramifications diminished. Now that seems to have changed with the cantankerous, mistrustful climate of this year’s U.S. presidential election shenanigans. Candidate currently speaks volumes.

Captain Marco (Frank Sinatra) and Sergeant Shaw (Laurence Harvey) head up an army platoon during the Korean War. They are captured by the Soviets, drugged, and taken to Manchuria, China, where they are brainwashed. Shaw, in particular, becomes a deadly sleeper-assassin for the Communists. A crack shot with a sniper rifle, Shaw is programmed to obey any command after he views a queen of diamonds playing card, usually presented to him during a game of solitaire. The platoon is released with the false memories that Shaw saved their lives. Back home, the other members from the platoon suffer from recurring, debilitating nightmares they don’t understand until Marco—now a major—decides to do something about it. Meanwhile, Shaw is under the control of his domineering mother (Angela Lansbury), who is determined to get Shaw’s step-father, a seriously right-wing, conservative McCarthy-like senator (James Gregory), the nomination for president.

What makes the movie so caustic today is that the hateful rhetoric spouted by the fictional Republicans in the film is frighteningly similar to what we’re hearing in the current election cycle. It’s a familiar tune: pick a scapegoat—any scapegoat (in the picture’s case, Communists)—and exaggerate the threat to scare an ignorant public for a political advantage. The campaign climate of hate and finger-pointing depicted in the film hits uncomfortably close to the contemporary atmosphere.

Frankenheimer co-produced the movie with screenwriter George Axelrod, and it stands tall in the director’s body of work. The story is told with a tense, underlying sense of dread that perfectly captures the paranoia of the era—and today. Frankenheimer’s depiction of the brainwashing demonstration to the Soviet and Chinese delegates is surreal. The soldiers believe they’re sitting at a floral garden party in which proper old ladies are discussing horticulture, when in fact the women are uniformed, male Communist agents. The bizarre incongruity and parallel editing of the scene is masterful (the picture received an Oscar nomination for Film Editing as well).

The exciting fight sequence between Frank Sinatra and Henry Silva is said to be the first depiction of a karate battle in a mainstream Hollywood film. Sinatra broke his hand during the filming of this intense scene.

Sinatra is very effective as the “straight man” of the tale, and Harvey is suitably creepy as the brainwashed killer, although the actor’s Britishness is sometimes difficult to ignore. The movie-stealer, though, is Lansbury, who was nominated for a Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance. “Mrs. Iselin” is a mother worthy of Hitchcock, a true villain of Cruella de Vil proportions, and Lansbury makes her very chilling indeed. Interestingly, the actress was only three years older than Harvey, but we have no problem believing she’s his mother.

Two other glamorous blondes appear in the film. Janet Leigh looks fabulous as Marco’s love interest, but in the overall arc of the story, hers is a somewhat unnecessary character. The scene in which Sinatra and Leigh meet on a train is the only eye-roll-producing bit in the picture, for she’s gives out her address and phone number within minutes of meeting this obviously disturbed guy who can’t even light a cigarette himself. The other beauty is Leslie Parrish, who plays Harvey’s girlfriend. She is sparkling, and certainly warrants more screen time. While Parrish made many movies, she is mostly known for a trove of 1960s television work in such shows as Star Trek, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Mannix.

Criterion’s new special edition features a restored 4K digital transfer of the film with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. There’s an audio commentary by Frankenheimer from 1997. Supplements include a new interview with Lansbury, who is amusing and candid with her memories of making the film; a new interview with filmmaker Errol Morris, a fan of the movie, talking about its strengths and influences; a new interview with historian Susan Carruthers about the brainwashing scene; a vintage filmed conversation between Sinatra, Frankenheimer, and Axelrod from 1987; and the trailer. The booklet contains an essay by critic Howard Hampton.

The Manchurian Candidate is one of the best thrillers from the 1960s. Considering what’s going on in America now, you might want to pop the disk into the Blu-ray player instead of watching the latest presidential candidate debate. You’ll assuredly find it much more entertaining.

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