"The Manchurian Candidate" -- a remake of an identically named film from 1962 -- is an unsettling thriller that plays on our rabid fascination with conspiracy theory, political corruption and mind control.
The film is characterized by an overwhelming sense of paranoia, a feeling sustained throughout the piece that wreaks havoc on both the protagonist and the audience alike. While watching the film, I was completely enraptured: the hazy cloud of what I knew was slowly made clearer by the frequent plot developments.
The film follows Maj. Ben Marco, played by Denzel Washington (originally by Frank Sinatra), an Army officer whose unit is abducted during the First Persian Gulf War. An enlisted man under Marco's command, Sgt. Raymond Shaw, apparently saves the unit and goes on to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.
The story picks up years later when Shaw, a reluctant figure played by Live Schreiber, is thrust into political prominence as a vice-presidential candidate.
As the plot develops, Marco grows to suspect that Manchurian Global, a titanic but shadowy conglomerate, contrived his unit's kidnapping and Shaw's Medal of Honor. The corporation looks to have brainwashed the unit, altering soldiers' memories through implants, brain surgery and psychiatric "boot camp." When the characters begin to question their memories -- threatening to expose the conspiracy and derail Shaw's election to office -- Manchurian Global and Shaw's own mother seem desperate to protect the truth.
The film explores the cover-up, examining the perpetrators and the motivations for their crimes. Ultimately, the antagonists prove to be driven by the classic motives of greed, ego and power.
The film also delves into an odd Oedipal tension between Shaw and his mother, culminating in a kiss before the climactic convention. This dynamic is reminiscent of the mother-son duo in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" in which the mother, a domineering and protective woman, inhibits her son from any existence that does not revolve around her.
The new film updates a Cold-War classic movie, placing the story within a more modern context. The opening sequence transpires during the first Gulf War, altered from the Korean War in the original film, and the plot unfolds at a time eerily labeled "today."
The techniques of mind control have also changed since the original, with mental implants and other technological tools replacing the earlier Freudian methods of brainwashing.
The performances in this film are quite noteworthy. Most memorable of all is Meryl Streep's portrayal of Raymond Shaw's mother, Eleanor Shaw, an unscrupulous senator. Eleanor Shaw may invite initial comparison to Sen. Hillary Clinton, but her boldness and deceit prove to extend far beyond the bounds of acceptability.
Denzel Washington delivers a nuanced performance that combines frenzied vulnerability with a sense of self-righteousness, all bordering on insanity. Washington plays the part of Maj. Ben Marco beautifully. Gone is the cool, rational, self-assured image of Frank Sinatra's original Marco.
Live Schreiber, too, is excellent in his role as a wooden, brainwashed politician whose scant moments of self-realization are especially touching.
While the film may seem somewhat timely, released roughly three months before the presidential election, the parallels to the real world -- other than a possible corporate connection between a certain vice-presidential figure and a certain industry -- are scant. The premise of the movie seems too distant (perhaps even too futuristic) from the present world. The American people have faith enough in their government to dismiss the film as a paranoid romp through the dangerous liaisons of business and politics, although the story -- by all means -- is a compelling one.
Overall, the film is highly entertaining. It skillfully taps into our most deeply-seeded fears and toys with our emotions. If you're looking for a good highly "original" thriller, this is your pick.
