The Manchurian Candidate

Release Year: 1962

Director: John Frankenheimer

Review: The original film based on a political thriller novel, 'The Manchruian Candidate' is a somewhat meandering movie with a terrific plot.  The premise is great, which is probably why the original source material was twice made into a movie.  A group of soldiers were captured during the Korean War and brainwashed, and one of them, Raymond Shaw(Laurence Harvey) is programmed to be an assassin.  It's up to  Maj. Bennet Marco(Frank Sinatra) to figure out what is going and stop Shaw before he he does too much damage.  A plot that sizzles, combining action and politics.  A kind of Bruce Lee meets Joesph McCarthy political action thriller.  The plot sounds great, if only it wasn't so mishandled.  

This was my second film which I have seen directed by John Frankenheimer, and both left me unimpressed by his direction.  He unfolds the story in the most melodramatic way, substituting actual passion for forced emotion.  There is a sort of quality to his films that feel like he is directing rigid cardboard cutouts rather that fluid actors.  The acting was far from good.  Lansbury is the saving grace, giving a truly wicked performance as Shaw's mother. Sinatra is also fairly good as the cool, straight man, but I'm not sure if it's his performance which is actually good, or if he just looks good in comparison to everyone else.  This is the problem with Frankenheimer.  It's as if he presses the actors to give the most hokey performance they have in them, making them reach too far, stretching for scenes that are more powerful then is earned.  I admire the fortitude of the film, however.   For the time, it took some big chances, showing some genuinely disturbing scenes with no remorse.  Unfortunately these risks did not ultimately pay off.  The story was too loose and misguided.  The woman love interests were completely useless, with absolutely no chemistry or depth whatsoever.   I like this film more than this review may make out, but was disappointed since I know it could have been so much more.  For a story which has as much going for it as this one, it falls short on many levels.
Rating: 3/5