Entertainment

Cult Movies: The Manchurian Candidate is a thrilling masterpiece of Cold War-fuelled paranoia

Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate
Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate

AS PARANOID Cold War thrillers go, they don't come much colder or more paranoid than John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate. Released in 1962, it remains a remarkable film which encapsulates the creeping sense of dread and political fear of 'the other' that paralysed America throughout the era.

That it manages to whip up a delirious feeling of 'Reds under the bed'-based political paranoia and build to a level of tension that amounts to a conspiracy theorist's dream at times, while also playing with conventional thriller traditions and even adding a smattering of satire to the mix, only goes to prove what a masterpiece of cinema it really is.

It's the story of Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), a soldier who returns from service in Korea a decorated war hero, but one who can't really remember exactly what he's been decorated for. He's worried that he's losing his memory and also his mind, but he's not alone. Several other serving soldiers from his troop, including Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra), are also undergoing weird dreams and lapses of memory.

It appears that, while overseas, the men were brainwashed by a Chinese hypnotist to such a level that they are now willing to kill another human being without so much as a shrug of the shoulders.

While Marco tries to work out exactly what is happening to them, Shaw's mother (Angela Lansbury) and step-father John Iselin (James Gregory) try to ease their son back into everyday American life. Matters get complicated when Shaw, a war hero in the eyes of the public, lest we forget, suddenly gets the Republican nomination to run for President.

Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh in The Manchurian Candidate
Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh in The Manchurian Candidate Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh in The Manchurian Candidate

As Shaw's life speeds up, Marco and his girlfriend Eugenie (Janet Leigh) find themselves embroiled in a terrifying conspiracy theory.

All the leads perform brilliantly here, with particular mention for Harvey, whose growing confusion as his mind unravels is genuinely distressing at times, and Sinatra, who remains a tough guy but one whose mental state is also hanging in the balance most of the time.

Just as impressive is Angela Lansbury who takes on her role as the bitchy, driven mother with a glee she can barely conceal.

James Gregory and Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate
James Gregory and Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate James Gregory and Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate

Frankenheimer builds the tension slowly, but he allows the sweaty palmed paranoia to bubble impressively throughout, and the result is that the audience discover the horror of the situation at the same pace as the main characters.

The crisp black and white cinematography adds to the stark vibe and there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing while the plot slowly unfolds. Whether Frankenheimer buys into the conspiracy theories explored here or is just holding a satirical mirror up to a society that's losing the plot is debatable, but either way it makes for a superior thriller and one that lives on long in the memory once the credits have rolled.

As a vision of America caving into the Cold War pressures of the time, The Manchurian Candidate is a mightily impressive movie. While the Korean war backdrop may date it, the themes of brainwashing and political manipulation it explores remain oddly contemporary.