After
surviving an ambush in the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco (Washington)
has been taken off active duty and now spends his time travelling
around schools and colleges giving talks on how the then Sergeant
Raymond Shaw (Schreiber) saved the entire platoon to inspire
possible new recruits. When one of the old platoon approaches
him saying he is having nightmares that are making him think
that Shaw didn't actually save the squad. When Marco starts
having the dreams as well, he starts to question what happened
that night and approaches Shaw with his reservations. The problem
is that Shaw is in the running to become the Vice President
of USA and any inkling that he and the
rest of the platoon my have been brainwashed might encroach
on his political aspirations but it is all deliberate ploy for
someone to have control of the
Whitehouse?
Political
intrigue mixes with science fiction to produce a thriller that
will keep you hooked to the very end. A remake of the 1962 movie
by John Frankenheimer and starring Frank Sinatra and based upon
the novel by Richard Condon, The Manchurian Candidate is updated
for the new millennium and is as intriguing a concept as ever.
The thought of a corporation been able to place a puppet in
the White House is a frightening prospect but one that is becoming
more and more plausible. As the Presidential election becomes
more and more like a Hollywood spectacle, backed by big business,
this is a movie that is very relevant and could be a forerunner
of what could come.
The science fiction element comes in the form of electronic
implants, brainwashing and suggestion triggers. What makes these
elements so
intriguing is that the film approaches them in a very plausible
way making you question if these things actually happen. This
propagates a sense of
paranoia in the characters that it affects and also makes the
audience think if corporations get anymore powerful they will
run our lives and the planet.
Backing up the extremely interesting story are some strong performances
from an excellent cast. Denzel Washington continues to mesmerise
you with his talents as an actor. As Major Ben Marco this is
another fine performance by an actor that can really do no wrong,
whatever he appears in. He creates a character that is riddled
with paranoia and distrust as the events that have shaped his
live start unravelling around him. Washington is accompanied
by another stellar performance from the brilliant Meryl Streep.
As Eleanor Shaw, Raymond Shaw's mother and the woman pushing
her son into the White House, she plays the great manipulator,
the puppet master who is pulling all the strings. Liev Schreiber
continues to make inroads into stardom with another noticeable
performance. He is an actor that really catches the eye
as he creates another intriguing and complex character that
slowly starts to mentally unravel as the film progresses. This
should get him even more noticed in Hollywood circles.
The Manchurian Candidate is an excellent remake that pays homage
to the original and brings the fascinating subject matter right
up to date. It also
marks a return to form for director Jonathan Demme, who at last
starts to rediscover some of the talent that made him an Oscar
winner. With excellent performances from an outstanding cast
and a plot that you can't help but be drawn into, this is a
movie that poses a lot of questions about the world of politics
and the power of big business.
Star Rating = * *
* *
PICTURE & SOUND
Presented
in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer. The picture quality
is sharp
throughout, even during the night scenes. The sound quality
is also good, emphasising the dialogue but coming into its own
during the flashback war sequences.
BONUS FEATURES
Commentary
by Director Jonathan Demme and screenplay co-writer Daniel Payne
This informative and chatty commentary track covers the technical
aspects of the remake of 'The Manchurian Candidate'. The pair
talks about bringing the
story into the modern political area and the amount of research
that had to go into the production. The also reveal secrets
about casting and what each
of the performers brought the characters. This is a well structured
and enlightening commentary from two people who know a lot about
film.
The Enemy Within:
Inside the Manchurian Candidate (14.09 mins)
Director Jonathan Demme, producer Tina Sinatra, screenwriter
Daniel Payne and stars Liev Schreiber, Denzel Washington and
Meryl Streep talk about
updating 'The Manchurian Candidate'. The group talk about the
complete change to plot of the film, making the multinational
corporations the
villains, and the other changes made to the film to make it
relevant to a modern audience.
The Cast of 'The
Manchurian Candidate' (11.59 mins)
Director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Daniel Payne and stars
Liev Schreiber, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep Jon Voight and
Roger Corman talk about casting and the characters of the movie.
The main characters of the film Ben Marco, Eleanor Prentiss
Shaw and Raymond Shaw are all discussed with the group talking
about how these characters are different from the original movie.
Deleted/Extended
Scenes (9.33 mins)
Entitled 'Marco and Raymond talk on Patrol', 'Marco's worried
neighbour', 'Raymond meets executives while Senator Jordan confronts
Eleanor at a fundraiser', 'Campaign trail montage', 'Marco and
Raymond interrupted at the Campaign HQ', these deleted or extended
scenes come with optional commentary by Director Jonathan Demme
and screenplay co-writer Daniel Payne.
Outtakes (2.44 mins)
Entitled 'Ellie's interview with Stacey Newsome-Santiago' and
'Ellie's interview with Al Franken', these outtakes come with
optional commentary by
Director Jonathan Demme and screenplay co-writer Daniel Payne.
Liev Schreiber Screen
Test (2.55 mins)
Your chance to watch Liev Schreiber test for the role of Raymond
Shaw with Meryl Streep
Political Pundits
(10.02 mins)
With optional commentary by director Jonathan Demme, these were
filler interviews used to get a feeling for the current American
political climate.
This research material was later used as televisual filler within
the movie.
OVERALL
Paramount
has done an excellent job with the DVD transfer of 'The Manchurian
Candidate'. The commentary track is very good and Jonathan Demme
and Daniel Payne also comment on many other aspects of the DVD
with offers more insights into the production of the movie.
The featurettes are also good, with the stars of the movie talking
frankly about the story, characters and political tone of the
film. Fans will be very pleased with this DVD.
