(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "The Manchurian Candidate"
Where You Can Stream It: The Roku Channel
The Pitch: "Raymond Shaw is the bravest, kindest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."
The recent death of Angela Lansbury and the 60th anniversary of "The Manchurian Candidate" this week have put the film back on the radar just in time for the U.S. midterm elections in early November. When "The Manchurian Candidate" first hit theaters in 1962, it was not far removed from the Second Red Scare, and the Cold War was still in full swing. The movie spoke to mid-20th-century fears like the specter of McCarthyism yet it was also remarkably prescient about the future of politics.
In "The Manchurian Candidate,...
The Movie: "The Manchurian Candidate"
Where You Can Stream It: The Roku Channel
The Pitch: "Raymond Shaw is the bravest, kindest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."
The recent death of Angela Lansbury and the 60th anniversary of "The Manchurian Candidate" this week have put the film back on the radar just in time for the U.S. midterm elections in early November. When "The Manchurian Candidate" first hit theaters in 1962, it was not far removed from the Second Red Scare, and the Cold War was still in full swing. The movie spoke to mid-20th-century fears like the specter of McCarthyism yet it was also remarkably prescient about the future of politics.
In "The Manchurian Candidate,...
- 10/26/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
If Frank Sinatra had his way, Angela Lansbury would never have given her finest film performance. For the role of Eleanor Iselin, a dead-hearted Communist agent plotting a series of assassinations that will result in the ascension of her alcoholic, McCarthyite husband to the White House, the Chairman of the Board favored Lucille Ball. In conversation with Alec Baldwin at the 2016 TCM Film Festival's screening of "The Manchurian Candidate," the actor confessed a bit of curiosity for this alternate bit of casting. "I mean, that could've been fascinating. You wouldn't have believed that she could be this devil incarnate."
For 1962 audiences, when "The Manchurian Candidate" was initially released, it would've been staggering to see the beloved First Lady of comedy play a cunning matriarch who has the barely suppressed hots for her brainwashed, trained-killer son Raymond Shaw (Lawrence Harvey). But, trust me, when the film was re-released in 1988, it was...
For 1962 audiences, when "The Manchurian Candidate" was initially released, it would've been staggering to see the beloved First Lady of comedy play a cunning matriarch who has the barely suppressed hots for her brainwashed, trained-killer son Raymond Shaw (Lawrence Harvey). But, trust me, when the film was re-released in 1988, it was...
- 10/12/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Every Friday, we’re recommending an older movie that’s available to stream or download and worth seeing again through the lens of our current moment. We’re calling the series “Revisiting Hours” — consider this Rolling Stone’s unofficial film club. This week: Scott Tobias on Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate.
It never sounded like a good idea to remake The Manchurian Candidate. Majors studios are always looking to plunder the vaults, eager to turn yesterday’s properties into tomorrow’s surefire hits, but John Frankenheimer’s...
It never sounded like a good idea to remake The Manchurian Candidate. Majors studios are always looking to plunder the vaults, eager to turn yesterday’s properties into tomorrow’s surefire hits, but John Frankenheimer’s...
- 9/28/2018
- by Scott Tobias
- Rollingstone.com
In a year rife with remakes, the 2004 version of "The Manchurian Candidate" had particularly intimidating shoes to fill.
Not only does the 1962 John Frankenheimer original retain much of its unsettling power, but its place in Hollywood lore -- it's said to have been pulled from release by distributor United Artists in the wake of the Kennedy assassination -- makes for fairly daunting remake material.
As it turns out, director Jonathan Demme has risen to the challenge, delivering a "Candidate" that simultaneously brings the original Cold War scenario bracingly up to date with a story line that pulses with a topical resonance while paying respectful homage to the late Frankenheimer's artistic vision.
While a few too many bumps and lags prevent it from being mistaken for a masterwork, it's certainly a vast improvement over Demme's previous remake effort, which turned "Charade" into "The Truth About Charlie".
The Paramount release has much going in its favor, including a literate script and strong performance after strong performance by a cast of consummate pros, including Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.
With Washington's presence usually assuring a built-in audience, the foundation should be laid for solid midlevel numbers, followed by an equally respectable voter turnout in the home video arena.
Washington, in the role originally played by Frank Sinatra, is Bennett Marco, a U.S. Army major who has been plagued by nightmares dating back to the time his Gulf War platoon was ambushed in the Kuwaiti desert.
Although Marco has since been giving motivational speeches detailing the heroics of Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Schreiber, in the Laurence Harvey role), who won the Medal of Honor for saving his men, those dark dreams swirling with images of torture and brainwashing would suggest the actual events may not have transpired as officially recorded.
When a troubled vet from his platoon (the always interesting Jeffrey Wright) corroborates Marco's nagging doubts, Marco's determined to talk to Shaw, but getting to him proves tricky. Thanks to the masterful manipulation of his smothering mother, Sen. Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Streep in the Lansbury role), Raymond's Gulf War hero status has been parlayed into a vice presidential candidacy bid, and Streep's piranha in pearls isn't prepared to let anyone or anything block his path to the White House.
Mining a competent script by Daniel Pyne ("The Sum of All Fears") and Dean Georgaris ("Paycheck") that retains the claustrophobic feeling of paranoia key to the original Richard Condon novel and George Axelrod screenplay, Demme compensates for a less than dynamic opening by expertly building the suspense, piling on a series of clinical, bizarre, squirm-inducing incisions and extractions.
And while a conscious attempt has been made not to align Raymond with any particular political party, a number of the film's plot points, including the concept of a manufactured presidential candidate and a compliant media in an era of heightened terrorist activity, will likely bring a smirk to Michael Moore's face.
Ironically, things begin to sag when the remake comes closest to emulating the original's political convention climax, leading to an epilogue that also comes up short of satisfying.
But the performances are flawless.
Streep is clearly enjoying every screen second of one of her meatiest roles in years, while Washington and Schreiber turn in quietly powerful performances. The scenes in which they have the camera to themselves are particularly electrifying.
Also doing fine work is Kimberly Elise (taking up where Janet Leigh left off 40 years ago) as a sympathetic supermarket checkout girl who meets Washington on a train, and Voight as a competing vice presidential candidate and Streep's longtime nemesis.
Giving it all the desired top-drawer look is Demme's longtime cinematographer Tak Fujimoto and production designer Kristi Zea, while Rachel Portman and Wyclef Jean collaborate on a symphonic low rumble of a score that sets the uneasy tone.
The Manchurian Candidate
Paramount
Paramount Pictures presents a Scott Rudin/Tina Sinatra production in association with Clinica EsteticoA Jonathan Demme Picture
Credits:
Director: Jonathan Demme
Screenwrites: Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris
Producers: Tina Sinatra, Scott Rudin, Jonathan Demme, Ilona Herzberg
Executive producer: Scott Aversano
Director of photography: Tak Fujimoto
Production designer: Kristi Zea
Editors: Carol Littleton, Craig McKay
Costume designer: Albert Wolsky
Music: Rachel Portman, Wyclef Jean. Cast: Army Maj. Ben Marco: Denzel Washington
Eleanor Prentiss Shaw: Meryl Streep
Raymond Shaw: Liev Schreiber
Thomas Jordan: Jon Voight
Rosie: Kimberly Elise
Al Melvin: Jeffrey Wright
Col. Howard: Ted Levine
Richard Delp: Bruno Ganz
Dr. Atticus Noyle: Simon McBurney
Jocelyn Jordan: Vera Farmiga
Laurent Tokar: Robyn Hitchcock
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 130 minutes...
Not only does the 1962 John Frankenheimer original retain much of its unsettling power, but its place in Hollywood lore -- it's said to have been pulled from release by distributor United Artists in the wake of the Kennedy assassination -- makes for fairly daunting remake material.
As it turns out, director Jonathan Demme has risen to the challenge, delivering a "Candidate" that simultaneously brings the original Cold War scenario bracingly up to date with a story line that pulses with a topical resonance while paying respectful homage to the late Frankenheimer's artistic vision.
While a few too many bumps and lags prevent it from being mistaken for a masterwork, it's certainly a vast improvement over Demme's previous remake effort, which turned "Charade" into "The Truth About Charlie".
The Paramount release has much going in its favor, including a literate script and strong performance after strong performance by a cast of consummate pros, including Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.
With Washington's presence usually assuring a built-in audience, the foundation should be laid for solid midlevel numbers, followed by an equally respectable voter turnout in the home video arena.
Washington, in the role originally played by Frank Sinatra, is Bennett Marco, a U.S. Army major who has been plagued by nightmares dating back to the time his Gulf War platoon was ambushed in the Kuwaiti desert.
Although Marco has since been giving motivational speeches detailing the heroics of Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Schreiber, in the Laurence Harvey role), who won the Medal of Honor for saving his men, those dark dreams swirling with images of torture and brainwashing would suggest the actual events may not have transpired as officially recorded.
When a troubled vet from his platoon (the always interesting Jeffrey Wright) corroborates Marco's nagging doubts, Marco's determined to talk to Shaw, but getting to him proves tricky. Thanks to the masterful manipulation of his smothering mother, Sen. Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Streep in the Lansbury role), Raymond's Gulf War hero status has been parlayed into a vice presidential candidacy bid, and Streep's piranha in pearls isn't prepared to let anyone or anything block his path to the White House.
Mining a competent script by Daniel Pyne ("The Sum of All Fears") and Dean Georgaris ("Paycheck") that retains the claustrophobic feeling of paranoia key to the original Richard Condon novel and George Axelrod screenplay, Demme compensates for a less than dynamic opening by expertly building the suspense, piling on a series of clinical, bizarre, squirm-inducing incisions and extractions.
And while a conscious attempt has been made not to align Raymond with any particular political party, a number of the film's plot points, including the concept of a manufactured presidential candidate and a compliant media in an era of heightened terrorist activity, will likely bring a smirk to Michael Moore's face.
Ironically, things begin to sag when the remake comes closest to emulating the original's political convention climax, leading to an epilogue that also comes up short of satisfying.
But the performances are flawless.
Streep is clearly enjoying every screen second of one of her meatiest roles in years, while Washington and Schreiber turn in quietly powerful performances. The scenes in which they have the camera to themselves are particularly electrifying.
Also doing fine work is Kimberly Elise (taking up where Janet Leigh left off 40 years ago) as a sympathetic supermarket checkout girl who meets Washington on a train, and Voight as a competing vice presidential candidate and Streep's longtime nemesis.
Giving it all the desired top-drawer look is Demme's longtime cinematographer Tak Fujimoto and production designer Kristi Zea, while Rachel Portman and Wyclef Jean collaborate on a symphonic low rumble of a score that sets the uneasy tone.
The Manchurian Candidate
Paramount
Paramount Pictures presents a Scott Rudin/Tina Sinatra production in association with Clinica EsteticoA Jonathan Demme Picture
Credits:
Director: Jonathan Demme
Screenwrites: Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris
Producers: Tina Sinatra, Scott Rudin, Jonathan Demme, Ilona Herzberg
Executive producer: Scott Aversano
Director of photography: Tak Fujimoto
Production designer: Kristi Zea
Editors: Carol Littleton, Craig McKay
Costume designer: Albert Wolsky
Music: Rachel Portman, Wyclef Jean. Cast: Army Maj. Ben Marco: Denzel Washington
Eleanor Prentiss Shaw: Meryl Streep
Raymond Shaw: Liev Schreiber
Thomas Jordan: Jon Voight
Rosie: Kimberly Elise
Al Melvin: Jeffrey Wright
Col. Howard: Ted Levine
Richard Delp: Bruno Ganz
Dr. Atticus Noyle: Simon McBurney
Jocelyn Jordan: Vera Farmiga
Laurent Tokar: Robyn Hitchcock
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 130 minutes...
- 8/25/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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