The Manchurian Candidate review

 Number 271 on the top 1000 films of all time is John Frankenheimer's 1962 neo-noir thriller 'The Manchurian Candidate.'

Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is a decorated Korean war veteran returning home as a hero. Used by his mother Eleanor Islin (Angela Lansbury) and her partner Senator John Iselin (James Gregory,) as a pawn to advance John Iselin's political career, some suspect him of being a sleeper agent brainwashed by the enemy. None so more than his commanding officer Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra.)

This was a tense, gripping thriller. One thing that surprised me so much was the sheer lack of background music. Less confident film-makers than Frankenheimer might have been tempted to force music into the background of every single scene, regardless of that scene warrants music or not. I think of a couple of very famous directors who have a piece of pop music in every other scene. But this lack of music was a great device for generating tension. It kept the pace throttling along.

Speaking of music, The Manchurian Candidate had some serious star power with Frank Sinatra receiving the top billing. I've never really known him as an actor, but I thought he was very good in the role. Laurence Harvey also deserves some credit. I loved the initial scenes of him. Upon returning back to the US, there is a massive fanfare as he is awarded the Medal of Honour. His parents also lavish on the praise. But he quickly sees through their cynical facade, knowing that he is little more than a pawn to them. 

This struck a chord with me, as it is the case for many of our veterans now. When they're fighting and dying for us in foreign lands, they're heroes. But when they return home, many are forsaken with little to no government support. Many of them suffer from PTSD or other mental health issues, and with no support network, some of them end up on the streets. It's a terrible business.

I've spoken a lot about the men of the Manchurian Candidate, but they all paled in comparison to Angela Lansbury. As very much a Lady Macbeth character, she was a true Machiavellian mastermind, pulling the strings behind the scenes. She was an absolute powerhouse and surely one of the best parts of this film.

I very much enjoyed the Manchurian Candidate. It has excellent performances, not least from Angela Lansbury, but is also a damning indictment of how we treat our veterans after they come home from war.