The Manchurian Candidate is the greatest political thriller ever made. It's original, exciting, intriguing and no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, there's something there for everyone. A communist plot threatens to take over America and its up to a former soldier and his new girlfriend to solve it. That's pretty much all I can say without getting to much into spoilers.
Made at a time when McCarthyism was diving down but still prevalent, John Frankenheimer's Masterpiece gives us an alternative look at Cold War paranoia. No one is spared but this film is not kind to McCarthyism. Small tangent, Joseph McCarthy was a Mad Man Who ruined the lives of innocent people in the name of liberty and freedom, while simultaneously working to take away that liberty. This film promptly tears apart that ideology. But the other villain of the film are communist trying to overthrow the government. So what is it telling us? There's a lot to unpack with this movie. It does require multiple viewings to find the truth and even then it's still subtle in its message. Maybe there isn't one underlining message. Most likely it's meant to showcase the madness of the era in an entertaining way. Either way, it Success at being entertaining.
The performances by the leads are great. Angela Lansbury deserved an Oscar. The cinematography and editing are practically perfect and they help with the eerie and mysterious aspects of the plot. There's no true good guy. Everyone's imperfect with their own agenda, wether they know it or not.
The Manchurian Candidate is a classic thriller. But it's a thriller wanting to tell us something. It doesn't underestimate its audience and expects them to understand its allusions. Few thrillers are as smart and thought provoking as this one.
Made at a time when McCarthyism was diving down but still prevalent, John Frankenheimer's Masterpiece gives us an alternative look at Cold War paranoia. No one is spared but this film is not kind to McCarthyism. Small tangent, Joseph McCarthy was a Mad Man Who ruined the lives of innocent people in the name of liberty and freedom, while simultaneously working to take away that liberty. This film promptly tears apart that ideology. But the other villain of the film are communist trying to overthrow the government. So what is it telling us? There's a lot to unpack with this movie. It does require multiple viewings to find the truth and even then it's still subtle in its message. Maybe there isn't one underlining message. Most likely it's meant to showcase the madness of the era in an entertaining way. Either way, it Success at being entertaining.
The performances by the leads are great. Angela Lansbury deserved an Oscar. The cinematography and editing are practically perfect and they help with the eerie and mysterious aspects of the plot. There's no true good guy. Everyone's imperfect with their own agenda, wether they know it or not.
The Manchurian Candidate is a classic thriller. But it's a thriller wanting to tell us something. It doesn't underestimate its audience and expects them to understand its allusions. Few thrillers are as smart and thought provoking as this one.