The Manchurian Candidate
Years after his unit was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco is plagued by terrifying nightmares. He grows doubtful of the heroism of his former squadmate, Sergeant Raymond Shaw, who has risen to vice-presidential candidacy. As Marco's suspicions deepen, Shaw's political power expands, and when Marco discovers a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.
Director(s)
Sidney Lumet
Jonathan Demme
Arthur Anderson
Eva Z. Cabrera
Betsy Friedman
Maggie Murphy
Matthew Sirianni
Doug Coleman
Where to watch
Amazon Video
Rent
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
This remake was always going to struggle to match the excellent 1962 version, and although it is not nearly as compelling, it is still an half decent attempt. Liev Schreiber is acclaimed Gulf War veteran and now Congressman "Raymond Shaw" who is very much in the running for Vice-President of the USA - egged on by his even more ambitious Senator mother (Meryl Streep). Meantime, his wartime captain "Marco" (Denzel Washington) is recovering from an injury sustained during an ambush - only he is struggling to reconcile his memories of that event with those being put forward by "Shaw" and, almost verbatim, by his fellow soldiers. Upon more detailed investigation, "Marco" stumbles upon the most unique of conspiracies that calls him to question not just his own sanity, but the nature of events both past and present. The more he digs, the more doors close before him and pretty soon both he and we know that there is some sort of conspiracy that goes right to the heart of American democracy. The story has been updated from the original and that helps it to stand on it's own a bit more. Washington is effective, as is Schreiber as the plot thickens and the prospects of a terrifying form of psychological warfare begin to loom large, presenting us with a story of manipulation and power-lust that is distinctly Machiavellian. Meryl Streep does OK, but sadly her's is the role that comes off worst by comparison with Angela Lansbury from first time round. The former is undoubtedly an accomplished actress, but somehow she doesn't quite exude the same degree of toxic charm. It also really does take it's time to get going, but once in it's stride it offers us quite an intriguing, if wordy, look at just how the American political establishment might work, and how it might, equally, be up for shrewd exploitation. It's a solid effort and worth a watch, but original is definitely much more sinister and best!
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The Manchurian Candidate FAQs
The directors of The Manchurian Candidate are Sidney Lumet, Jonathan Demme, Arthur Anderson, Eva Z. Cabrera, Betsy Friedman, Maggie Murphy, Matthew Sirianni, and Doug Coleman.
The cast of The Manchurian Candidate includes Liev Schreiber as Congressman Raymond Prentiss Shaw (D-NY), Roma Torre as Newscaster #3, Dorian Missick as Owens, Željko Ivanek as Vaughn Utly, Obba Babatundé as Senator Wells, Jose Pablo Cantillo as Villalobos, Jeffrey Wright as CPL Al Melvin, Harry Northup as Congressman Flores, Miguel Ferrer as Colonel Garret, Ted Levine as Colonel Howard, Meryl Streep as Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (D-VA), Anna Deavere Smith as Political Pundit, and more.
The duration of The Manchurian Candidate is 2h 10 mins.
Yes. You can watch the The Manchurian Candidate trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
You can watch The Manchurian Candidate on Amazon Video (Rent). Check this Fanbiz page for the latest platforms.
The Manchurian Candidate was released on 30 Jul 2004.
The Manchurian Candidate is listed under Thriller, Drama, and Mystery on Fanbiz.
The Manchurian Candidate has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 6.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "This remake was always going to struggle to match the excellent 1962 version, and although it is not nearly as compelling, it is still an half decent attempt. Liev Schreiber is..."
