THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

"Do you have nightmares?"

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 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.

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.

DVD

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

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2004