Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Amy Adler Raymond Shaw (Lawrence Harvey) is not well-liked in his Army company fighting in the Korean War. While other guys try to relax with drinks and dames, Shaw is a straight arrow wet blanket. Even his commander Ben (Frank Sinatra) is not crazy about him. Yet, one night, the unit's interpreter leads the men to be captured by a Chinese-Russian operative who whisk everyone away to Manchuria. In short order, the men are brainwashed and then let go. Now, every man down to the last, says Raymond is a hero who lead the group out of danger. Back in America, Raymond is given the Medal of Honor which pleases his ultra-ambitious mother Evelyn (Angela Lansbury) to no end. She is the energy behind her McCarthy like husband Senator John Iselin and she is looking to put him on the upcoming ticket as the Vice Presidential Candidate. Raymond himself detests his mother and stepfather and finds work as an aid to a liberal publisher. Meanwhile, Ben has continuing nightmares which sometimes show Raymond as a killer. He suspects the hero's story is a fraud. But, what really happened in Manchuria? What does the Queen of Diamonds have to do with anything? Is Evelyn even more manipulative than she appears now? Is the USA in grave danger? This film made long ago from a 1959 book by Richard Condon, is still riveting, intelligent fare of the highest degree. What if Russia, China or whoever brainwashed a pawn to take out enemies and thus leave traitors as the step-in leaders of the Free World? Yes, it could happen with terrible consequences unless heroes and heroines emerge to stop it. Looking at the US President elected in 2016, where Russia is suspected of influencing the vote in his favor, and we have the Republic shaken to its core. In this movie, events are scary beyond belief and the suspense is palpable. A simple trigger induces a man to commit crimes he wouldn't do in real life and he's not aware he is even doing so. Take heed, folks! Harvey, Sinatra and the supporting cast is great but one actress rises above all. Lansbury's Evelyn is one of the most evil, manipulative, repulsive women in the halls of moviedom. Sets, costumes, and a strong direction also contribute to the fabulous final product. Want to see a film which seems ripped from headlines of any decade in its depiction of spies, superspies, and regime changers? TMC is colossally smart and fearsome.

jc-osms The grand-daddy of all political thrillers right here, maybe even thrillers full stop. A great film, for me, should contain with it some sequence or scene which recurs in your memory maybe years after you last saw it, but when you think about the film at all, just comes immediately to mind. I'm referring of course to the brainwashing scene which sets up the whole premise of the movie. The film also has an almost literally heart-stopping climax and just for good measure the in-between content is gripping, involving and also has shockingly unexpected developments too. The fact that it proved tragically prescient of the JFK assassination the next year only adds a topical edge to proceedings when what seemed at the time fantastical and possibly far-fetched on the screen manifested itself into grim reality a year or so later on the streets of Dallas.Said brainwashing scene, where we see exactly to what extent the Communist enemy have control over Lawrence Harvey's character, is brilliantly written, edited and filmed, the deaths of the two unsuspecting troop members, as devastating to watch as they are seemingly casual to commit. Even more transfixing later on is Raymond's double-slaying of his new father-in-law, where a spilling milk carton stands in for the bloodletting of Thomas Jordan and immediately afterwards the unthinking slaughter of the latter's daughter Traci, his own wife, as he stands over the prostrate father, caught in the horrific act of delivering the kill shot to the head.Yes, coincidence plays a big part in proceedings, like Raymond's love for the daughter of his detested mother's political nemesis Jordan or Traci's wearing of the trigger-point queen of hearts dress to a fancy dress ball but these are easily excused especially with the back story echoing the rise of the McCarthy communist witch-hunt. Incredible to think that such a vulgar, loud-mouthed buffoon as Johnny Iresden could get so close to the White House, or is it...?Of course it helps that the acting is so consistently good by all the cast members. Sinatra as the main starring name holds the film together with a commanding performance and Harvey is brilliant as the distant but disturbed Raymond and of course, Angela Lansbury is unforgettably cast against type as the devious and devilish would-be power behind the throne as Raymond's mother and Johnny's wife. However even the casting of lesser characters is spot-on as are their performances all of which helps keep the film grounded and credible as it progresses. This particular film is one of my dad's favourites and he's rarely wrong is my old dad. It's one of mine too and a film that repays repeat viewings. I don't rule out watching it again sometime in the future so good is it.

HotToastyRag Frank Sinatra's having bad dreams. Ever since his return from the Korean War, he's had nightmares of his sergeant, Laurence Harvey, killing men in their unit. Is it shell shock? Is it a premonition? Larry is also struggling with his return to civilization, since his overbearing mother Angela Lansbury is a very powerful force in the political realm.If the title or plot sounds familiar to you, Hollywood remade The Manchurian Candidate in 2004, with Denzel Washington, Liev Shrieber, and Meryl Streep as the three leads, and updated to the Iraq War. The remake was also a great film, although perhaps not quite as chilling during the time of its release, since political corruption films were a new genre in the 60s. And the plot is so complex and confusing, even if you've seen one version, chances are you can watch the other without being able to guess or untangle the twists and turns. I have a soft spot in my heart for Frank Sinatra, so I'd recommend watching the original first, but Meryl Streep is frightening in her Hillary Clinton-esque portrayal in the remake, so if you want to watch that version first, that's fine.In addition to the tension-filled plot and scary setting of American politics, the acting in The Manchurian Candidate is fantastic. Both Frankie and Larry give wonderful performances, but only Angela Lansbury was honored with a nomination by the Academy in 1963. If you haven't yet seen it, rent at least one of the versions. It really is a classic.

elvircorhodzic THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is a suspense thriller drama, which is full of disturbing anxiety and intimidation in a "colorful" political game. It is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Condon.During the Korean War, the Soviets capture a U.S. platoon and take them to Manchuria in Communist China. A few days later, most of the soldiers have returned to American lines, and one sergeant has received the Medal of Honor, because, according to a report of a captain, he has rescued his comrades. However, unsympathetic character of a young sergeant, which is mentioned in earlier reports, is now under question. The soldiers are behaving pretty strange. They suffer from a recurring nightmare in which a hypnotized sergeant demonstrates murder. The captain wants to investigate that strange phenomenon, but has no solid evidence to back his claims and thus receives no support from Army Intelligence. Meanwhile, a sergeant mother drives a political career of her husband and his stepfather, who is a demagogue and widely dismissed as a fool. A desperate captain will have to connect all the strings in a dangerous and dirty political game...This is a very intelligent story, which could cause determination consequences to the viewers, given the political environment. A brainwashing has a double meaning in this case. It is trapped between political conflicts and fear of a certain ideology. A political manipulation is in contrast with the logic and free thinking. That topic is fairly well covered in the film. A tension is a consistent segment, but the direction is uncertain, because some key scenes are not convincing. The balance between the main protagonists is lost through satirical reflections or ironic attitudes.A paranoid-depressive atmosphere is very good, while the characterization could be a lot better. The plot has lost its sharpness and direction in the second part of the film.Frank Sinatra as Maj. Bennett Marco is a generator of a turn in the story. He is a quite unconvincing character, although well developed, especially in the second part of the film. Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw is impressive as a hypnotized killer. He is a victim and villain at the same time. Mr. Harvey has offered a very good performance.Their support are Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Iselin) as a dominant and intense character. She is a mother, wife and agent "of dark forces" at the same time. James Gregory (Sen. John Yerkes Iselin) is her puppet and a vulgar politician with a fake and unconvincing stance. Janet Leigh (Eugenie Rose Chaney) has, given the timing of her appearance in the film, received too little space in the film. There is a romance between her and Maj. Marco, which is on the verge of absurdity.Frankly, I do not like this idea, but this shocking conspiracy thriller is not bad.