In honor of this 4th of July holiday that just passed, I’ve watched a patriotic, political thriller classic, John Frankenheimer’s “The Manchurian Candidate” from 1962.
Really, the movie isn’t patriotic at all, but it’s about the Cold War and a Communist conspiracy theory and Presidential hoohah. And it has Frank Sinatra in it, who of course is as American as apple pie. Rather, it’s a carefully drawn and ultimately tragic thriller that seems to have not aged a day (although there is maybe one silly reason why it has), least of all in its engaging cinematic style.
Most thrillers like this, or specifically ones made around the early ’60s and moving into the ’70s, are strictly business in their story, building layer upon layer of complication and tension without leaving much room for character. That’s not necessarily a slam on those films, many of which become careful studies in exactly the diligent style they take. But “The Manchurian Candidate” is such a complex thriller, and yet the character back stories are key to the plot’s unraveling. Continue reading “Rapid Response: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)”