There was an all-too-brief time in the 1990s when films dealing with Cold War subject matter felt antiquated. With the break-up of the Soviet Union and the spread of democracy throughout Eastern Europe, we had good reason to believe that the West’s steadfast example of representative government had won out in the global marketplace of ideas. Countries that had been driven into financial misery by corrupt authoritarian leaders were suddenly eager to get in on the capitalism game. Alas, as most of us already knew, there’s not a more corruptible game in town when laws aren’t enforced. One look at the daily headlines makes it clear that these Cold War movies aren’t just relevant again — they’re grim dispatches from a bizarro world where the West came out on top of this chilling conflict.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, and I wouldn’t blame you if you’re not in the mood for a classic paranoid political thriller at the time being. After all, we arguably failed to heed this genre’s warnings. But if you’ve got a strong stomach and/or simply want to watch a brilliantly crafted movie about an attempted takeover of the American government, you can’t do any better than John Frankenheimer’s 1962 classic “The Manchurian Candidate.” And here’s some actual good news: you can currently watch it for free (with ads) on YouTube.
The Manchurian Candidate is a riveting political thriller
United Artists
Frankenheimer’s film, adapted from Richard Condon’s novel by the skilled satirist George Axelrod, stars Frank Sinatra as Bennett Marco, a U.S. Army Intelligence officer who was once held captive by the Chinese during the Korean War. Also taken prisoner was Raymond Shaw (Lawrence Harvey), who, being the son of a powerful U.S. Senator with presidential ambitions, proves to be a valuable asset. While being held, the men are brainwashed via a technique that makes them susceptible to a specific trigger. For Shaw, it is the Queen of Diamonds, and it is the goal of his treasonous mother (a deliciously evil Angela Lansbury) to direct her unwitting son to clear a murderous path to the presidency for her husband.
“The Manchurian Candidate” was released on October 24, 1962, four days before the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and has remained a favorite of political thriller junkies for over half a century. The film got a boost in 1987 from a well-received screening at the New York Film Festival, which prompted a theatrical re-release. Though it was shot in black-and-white (which should never be a turn-off, but if it is for you, boy, you’re missing out), Frankenheimer’s skill at staging suspense set pieces is timeless; the movie holds you in its grip all the way to its stunning finale, which hits quite differently in our day and age. Whether it leaves you angry or despairing, I guarantee that it will leave you shaken. It is an unforgettable movie that ponders what it would take to overthrow the U.S. government. Turns out, Condon, Frankenheimer and Axelrod might’ve been too hopeful.
