The Manchurian Candidate

As fan of James Bond and espionage film, the 1962 Cold War thriller The Manchurian Candidate would regularly come up as a suggestion and feature highly in various film poles but was a difficult one to track down. One day I caught it on Prime and with little more than my hazy memory of the 2004 remake, I went into this quite cold and ready to experience whatever this had to offer. 

The story follows a group of US soldiers returning home from the war in Korea but some start to experience traumatising dreams of an event during their capture which no one can quite recall clearly. One of the soldiers suffering from these dreams is Maj. Bennett Marco, played by Frank Sinatra, and he begins to have suspicions regarding his sergeant, played by Laurence Harvey, who is the son of some highly influential political figures during the height of red scare and McCarthyism. 

Directed by John Frankenheimer, who released two other films that same year, The Manchurian Candidate is truly a riveting thriller from start to finish, boasted by a great cast and has lost nothing in the 61 years since its release. While I particularly enjoyed seeing Sinatra in an acting role, Laurence Harvey was a surprise as the haunted leader of the squad and he delivers what many regard as his best work right here. Sadly his career didn't take-off as it should and he would sadly die young but this remains an incredible piece of work with much of the film resting on him. 

There is a raw edge to the black-and-white visuals here, with Frankenheimer sometimes taking a documentary approach at times, and I think this all helps to craft a film that both feels a part of its time and almost modern as if it were made today. And I'm glad I went into this with as little information as possible as it is a brilliant film, deserving of more recognition today when we speak of the greats, and is an easy recommendation for anyone. This a slickly made thriller from the very unnerving first act to the final scene that delivers an engaging and satisfying experience worth your time.