One of the many reasons John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) has garnered recognition is its ability to remain a relic of Cold War paranoia and at the same time preserve a fresh feel.
Unfortunately, most critical praise of the film subsists upon pointing to that reasoning or its influence on modern "psychological thrillers" — or whichever asinine labeling system Blockbuster's enacting this month for who-done-its.
That's not to say the film isn't thrilling — edgy, shocking and provocative moments abound. What's troubling, and down right annoying, is watching the film's legacy pigeonholed so thoughtlessly; watching an ingenious aesthetic go out of focus in pundits' critiques.
After returning from the Korean War, Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is plagued with recurring nightmares of unconscionable acts. He eventually figures out that Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) has been brainwashed under the supervision of his maniacal mother (Angela Lansbury) to become a government assassin on command.
Sinatra's detective work feels a little too good to be true at times, but the film's multilayered complexity throws any plot reservations to the wayside.
For one, there are satirical pokes at McCarthyism; a nimrod senator claims there are 57 communists in the defense department after fumbling to get ketchup from a Heinz bottle.
For another, the film highlights the main characters' struggle to find a place in society after battle. Drunk and weepy, Harvey confides that he lost the love of his life and Sinatra, glistening with sweat, can't light a cigarette while strangers stare.
Sinatra and Harvey — both leads in their respective times — also display a venerable willingness to hold back and share the spotlight.
As madness culminates at the end, the film isn't so much concerned with what will happen as it is with why it happened. It covers a lot of political and humanistic ground without resorting to hypothetical analysis or hyperbole — a common mishap in modern thrillers.
Frankenheimer's approach here is almost impeccable — Welles-ian dissolve-shot dream sequences, multiple-source lighting, longwinded tracking shots. It's not so much a seed for thrillers to come, so much as a forerunner of the American film movement of the 1970s.
"The Manchurian Candidate: Special Edition" supports this conclusion with an insightful interview with William Friedkin ("The Exorcist") on Frankenheimer's lasting influence. Additional interviews with the Frank Sinatra and screenwriter George Alexrod ("Breakfast at Tiffany's", "The Seven Year Itch") and a featurette on legendary actress Angela Lansbury are engaging. Frankenheimer's director's commentary emphasizes his erudite knowledge and general infatuation with the medium.
The DVD isn't for casual film observers, but it's a necessity for any enthusiast.
Grade: A
Special Features: A