The Manchurian Candidate

A recently returned Korean War veteran (Frank Sinatra) suspects he and his platoon may have been brainwashed by the Communists.

The Manchurian Candidate is the original paranoid political thriller from director John Frankenheimer. It’s a tight, well-plotted ride that, for the most part, still holds up nearly fifty years later, even though the cold war is long over.

Performance wise, Sinatra’s fine as the first platoon member to catch on to what’s been done to him, while Laurence Harvey is dynamite as the titular character in a turn that manages to elicit sympathy without being likable. He’s an ass, but you still feel sorry for him.

The supporting cast is also great. Janet Leigh does her best with a nothing part, while Angela Lansbury manages to look fifteen years older and infinitely more corrupt as Harvey’s character’s ambitious and scheming mother. James Gregory and John McGiver also give great performances as a pair of opposing Senators.

There are a few stumbles. The fight between Sinatra and Henry Silva, while one of the early examples of martial arts in Hollywood films, looks awkward and uncomfortable, especially for Sinatra. Further, the romance between Sinatra and Leigh borders on implausible, fails to serve the story, and should have been cut entirely.

But these are stumbles and not trips. The Manchurian Candidate is a engrossing, fast-paced, entertaining thriller that’s worth a look, especially for fans of the genre.