The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers (WGA):

Richard Condon (novel)
George Axelrod (1962 screenplay)

Release Date:

30 July 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller | War

Tagline:

This summer everything is under control.

Plot:

In the midst of the Gulf War, soldiers are kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Assassination Plot | Brainwash | Psychological Thriller | Admiral

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Jeffrey Wright	...	Al Melvin
Pablo Schreiber	...	Eddie Ingram
Anthony Mackie	...	Robert Baker
Dorian Missick	...	Owens
Jose Pablo Cantillo	...	Villalobos
Teddy Dunn	...	Wilson
Joaquin Perez-Campbell	...	Atkins
Tim Artz	...	Jameson
Denzel Washington	...	Ben Marco
Robyn Hitchcock	...	Laurent Tokar
Liev Schreiber	...	Raymond Shaw
Antoine Taylor	...	Boy Scout #1
Joseph Alessi	...	Boy Scout #2
Raymond Anthony Thomas	...	Scout Dad (as Ray Anthony Thomas)
Bill Irwin	...	Scoutmaster

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

USA:129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U (cut) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40839) | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When Raymond Shaw is talking with Ben in his election HQ office, he says, "...when we were in Kuwait..." but slurs the word to sound very much like "Korea". The original movie had the soldiers serving in (and abducted from) Korea.

Goofs:

The place where they drill Raymond Shaw's skull is far removed from where the MRI tracking shows they are implanting a new probe.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Noyle: [voiceover] Now, when you're rescued and returned with your patrol to command headquarters, what will be among the first of your duties that you'll undertake?
Ben Marco: I'll recommend Sergeant Shaw for the Medal of Honor, sir. He saved our lives. He terminated the enemy. Led us across the desert to safety.
Noyle: Excellent. And there were casualties?
Ben Marco: There's always casualties in war, sir.

Movie Connections:

Features Apollo 13 (1995)

Soundtrack:

Trem Two

Better than most remakes, but not as compelling as the original

Here's something I never thought I'd say: I enjoyed parts of "The Manchurian Candidate" remake; it isn't as bad as I expected it to be.

And much of the credit goes to the three main players - Denzel Washington as the paranoid veteran, Liev Schreiber as the titular character and Meryl Streep as the power-hungry, Oedipally motivated Senator Eleanor Shaw.

Screenwriters Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris reinvent and contemporize Richard Condon's novel and the 1962 film. While John Frankenheimer's film, written by George Axelrod, was the apotheosis of the Cold War thriller and a scathing indictment of McCarthyism, Jonathan Demme's remake is less subtle in its approach and paranoia, but takes barbed jabs at current politics, the corruptibility of our elected leaders and paranoia disguised as patriotism in a post-9/11 America.

The remake also owes a debt of gratitude to Alan J. Pakula's brilliant 1974 paranoia-conspiracy thriller, "The Parallax View."

Although it isn't clear whether Raymond Shaw is a Republican or Democrat - his mother certainly seems more Republican in her outlook and politics - Demme and his writers' point is that all American politicians are bought and paid for by big business. As we all know, we never heeded President Eisenhower's prescient caution about the military industrial complex.

The villainous Manchurian Global clearly was inspired by Halliburton - there's even mention of the company getting no-bid contracts. Pay close attention and you'll hear pointed references about the use of private contractors by the military, malfunctioning touch-screen voting machines and our government's "compassionate vigilance." Also, look fast and you'll see a news crawl about a Wal-Mart-type chain and a newspaper story about our treatment of Muslims.

Washington's awfully convincing as a man fraying at the edges, whose grip on reality seems to be slowly slipping, and there were a few moments where Schreiber almost reminded me of Laurence Harvey.

Streep, on the other hand, proves why she is undoubtedly the best actress this nation has ever produced. Her Eleanor spits venom. We're utterly convinced why Raymond's such a cuckold. We can only imagine what his poor father must have endured. Streep occasionally comes close to being campy, but so completely dominates the screen that she scares us even when she chews ice.

But several other talented actors, including Jon Voight, Vera Farmiga, Dean Stockwell and Ted Levine, are used to little or no effect.

Some crucial plot elements make no sense. The Dr. Noyle scenario, for instance, proves to be illogical, especially when we learn more about him. Neither Pyne nor Georgaris attempted to rectify this deficiency. Also, the mysterious Muslim women are superfluous. I wonder if their bit wound up on the cutting-room floor.

The film contains an unmistakable cynical tone. As much as it's clearly an indictment of big business' control of politics, it also denounces our leaders' insistence on keeping the public on edge with terror alerts. And as Senator Shaw points out, "The assassin always dies. It's necessary for the national healing."

But after maintaining its cynicism for much of the film, it comes apart completely at the end. Demme and his writers cop out with a pointless and weak denouement. That gunshot you hear is Demme shooting himself in the foot.

It's almost as if they gave in to appease some mindless preview audience or dimwitted studio hack. Or, maybe they envisioned it just like this. Given my admiration of Demme, I'd like to think otherwise. Hope I'm right.