1962.#67 / Unlisted
Nominated for 2 Academy Awards.
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE tells the story of Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), an American soldier who has just returned from the Korean War. He does not realize that the Koreans and Russians have brainwashed him, turning him into a mindless assassin.
Sarah: I watched this film with eyes and mouth wide open the entire time. So far, this has been my favorite of the films that I had never seen before. The film takes constant twists and is visually amazing. It was a thrilling complicated ride. It was a lot darker than I expected and ominously has some similarities to the Kennedy assassination. My brain was spinning the whole movie, trying to keep up and anticipate what was next.
Besides a unique and exciting story, the acting was also great. I grew up knowing Angela Lansbury as the warm voice of Mrs. Potts in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. She doesn't play that sweet character in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. In her role here as Mrs. Iseline, to say she was manipulative and cold is an understatement. There are also great performances by Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh.
I have no idea why this film was left out of the revised AFI 100. Writing about it only makes me want to watch it right now.
Eddie: Yeah, I concur entirely with Sarah. The only thing I knew about this movie going into it was that Frank Sinatra was in it (I am not generally a fan) and that they remade it a few years ago. I was awestruck for two solid hours.
Why You Should See It: There is a 360° shot during one of the flashback sequences. It goes from weird to brilliant. That alone makes the movie worthwhile.
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