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By
NICK ZEGARAC
It strikes me that as much
as I hate Hollywood remaking its past, the
exercise is nevertheless fruitful in getting
studios to reissue the original films on DVD and
for that I am grateful. In a sort of commemorative
celebration of the 2004 remake that has only just
hit theaters this week MGM/UA has re-released a
special edition of this perversely chilling and
suspenseful 1962 thriller.
At once a timely and timeless tale of espionage
and intrigue, "The Manchurian Candidate" was
withheld from distribution for almost a quarter
century after President Kennedy's assassination --
presumably because its parallels between truth and
fiction were just too upsetting for star, Frank
Sinatra to get over. Yet despite its disappearance
from the spotlight, the film has lost none of its
dark potency. The plot is an eerie foreshadowing
time capsule of sorts. Former infantryman Bennet
Marco (Frank Sinatra) is tormented by a perpetual
nightmare in which he and his platoon have been
brainwashed in Korea. Through a series of
conversations with other former fellow POWs, Marco
becomes increasingly suspicious of his
subconscious as he agonizes ever closer to
uncovering the horrific truth. The indecipherable
snippets focus on Bennett's decorated war hero,
Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey). Like most
of Harvey's subsequent roles, he plays a generally
cool, aloof loner -- this time with a diabolically
nattering, hen-pecker of a mother (Angela
Lansbury) in tow. She's a manipulative queen bee,
exporting the limited political prowess of her
Senator husband, John Iselin (James Gregory) and
re-channeling it into something reminiscent of the
completely ungodly mess surrounding the McCarthy
era. However, Shaw is a "sleeper," a brainwashed
ticking time bomb set to explode with the
detonation of a series of precipitating code
words. This is a terrific thriller, one that has
suspense, realistic characters, and the kind of
riddle within an enigma plot that should both
entertain and edify you all at the same time.
Director, John Frankenheimer presents this macabre
bit of classic film making with all of his usual
brilliance and flair for visually stunning and
evocative images.
The MGM/UA Special Edition DVD delivers very few
extras. The best reason for this reissue is a new
5.1 stereo mix and its anamorphic widescreen
transfer -- both absent from the previously issued
DVD. This current incarnation of "The Manchurian
Candidate" exhibits a very smooth, surprisingly
detailed B&W transfer. The gray scale is generally
nicely balanced, though nighttime photography
continues to suffer from a generally soft
characteristic and very weak black and contrast
levels. Nevertheless, film grain is minimal and
fine details are exceptionally realized.
Occasionally a hint of edge enhancement crops up,
as well as some shimmering of fine details, but
these are very rare and absolutely do not distract
from one's visual enjoyment. The audio has been
remixed and, although sounding strident in some
cases, exhibits a vintage quality with good
separation and no background hiss. Director John
Frankenheimer provides an incredibly detailed and
compelling commentary. There's also a very short
1988 snippet from a cast reunion special. Limited
reminiscences from Angela Lansbury and another all
too short featurette, hosted by Frankenheimer,
round out the extras. |
