The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - Film Review
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, James Gregory
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenplay: George Axelrod
Rating: 4/5
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The Manchurian candidate is one of the best political thrillers ever made; it is a bizarre conspiracy movie which keeps the audience nailed to their seats.
The movie follows a troop of soldiers who are taken hostage for three days during the Korean War, as they return home they start to suffer from recurring nightmares. One of the troops Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is the step-son of a candidate for vice-presidency Senator Iselin (James Gregory) however it is Raymond’s overbearing mother played by Angela Lansbury who is in control of the situation. The question is what actually happened during the three days? And what secrets are the characters harbouring?
The film is like an emotional bulldozer it ratchets up the suspense in every scene, slowly taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride before revealing the true nature of the plot which surprises and exhilarates.
The lead characters are played magnificently and portray a believable and enigmatic performance which keeps you entertained and begging for more when the film finishes.
The last scene is breathtaking and is an excellent climax to a film that has more twists and turns than I can count.
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