The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is a thought provoking film about a conspiracy to create a guilt-free assassin by brainwashing a Korean War Sergeant. The story follows closely to the novel of the same name by Richard Condon but does not have the feel of a movie made from a book. These characters seem original, and the climactic finish has the tempo of a made-for-Hollywood thriller.
The tone of the film is set in the first scene, a fantastic demonstration of the state of mind of the brainwashed soldiers. The camera reveals not only the reality of the moment, but also the perceived reality of the soldiers. The scene could be confusing, but the editing is pulled off in such a way that the audience knows exactly what is going on, if not why it is happening.
The Manchurian Candidate has some very interesting characters. Laurence Harvey, who plays Raymond Shaw, shows little emotion except when he is thinking of the woman he loves. This lack of expression makes Shaw the perfect candidate for the mindless assassin. Angela Lansbury is deliciously sinister in the role of Shaw's mother. She is a powerful, controlling and unremorseful character who we absolutely hate by the end of the movie. Her husband, Senator Iselin is the perfect political puppet. With his wife as the puppeteer to his performance, Iselin spouts cliches and unfounded Communist accusations for no reason but faith in her judgement.
Frank Sinatra turns in the strongest performance in the film in the role of Colonel Marco. As he struggles to understand his bizarre nightmares, we feel compassion for his character. Marco's mind has been manipulated, and he knows it. He wants to help his friend Raymond, but he is not even sure if Raymond is really his friend or just a friend in his mind. The only weak link with Sinatra's character is his relationship with Rosie, played by Janet Leigh. Rosie feels like a character who could be further developed but is left alone, contributing little to the story.
The Manchurian Candidate is a timeless story that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Even then, we are left wondering exactly what has happened in the mind of Raymond Shaw.