(1962, 2004)
"Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?"
This is a review and comparison of the 1962 and 2004 film versions of "The Manchurian Candidate".
The 1962 film features Frank Sinatra as Cpt. Bennett Marco, Laurence Harvey as Sgt. Raymond Shaw, and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Iselin, in the three lead roles.
The 1962 version: "The Manchurian Candidate" is based upon the 1959 book by Richard Condon, which was an immediate success. The film, however, was a flop at the time it was released, and after the assassination of John F. Kennedy the following year, was withheld from the public until the late 1980's by Frank Sinatra, who had purchased the rights to it.
The story in brief: Raymond Shaw is an ex-prisoner of war (and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient) who, as it turns out, was brainwashed with the rest of his infantrymen while captured in North Korea. He, however, has been programmed to kill, unlike the rest, who were merely made to believe (and recount, when queried) that "Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life", who saved their lives. After two years back home, though, Cpt. Marco and some of the others have started having nightmares in which glimpses of the truth come through. Cpt. Marco cannot reconcile the dreams with what he feels in his heart, and starts to search for the truth.
The brainwashing sequences are chilling, using as one technique 360-degree camera rotations to pan the room in a circle, as one long shot, to show what at first seems to be a garden party of elderly ladies talking about "Fun With Hydrangeas" (with the soldiers inexplicably on the podium as guests), until the camera rotates back around...and the elderly ladies have become an assortment of Russians and Chinese officials. This scene in itself involved quite a lot of filming, as the same shots and angles had to be used for many of the juxtapositions of the characters.
Angela Lansbury is Mrs. Iselin, married to Raymond's stepfather (obviously a characterization of the real-life Senator McCarthy). The plan is for Raymond to assassinate the presidential nominee at a certain pivotal moment, so that Senator Iselin can further his career and the advance of the Communist Party infiltration into the US government. This is also with the help and control of his manipulative, controlling wife. Angela Lansbury was masterful in her role as one of the greatest female villains in the history of film. In real life she was only a couple of years older than Laurence Harvey, yet she plays his mother in the film. She is completely believable, however, and without the use of any aging makeup. Frank Sinatra, known for insisting on only doing one take because he believed in spontaneity, gives what is possibly his finest film performace. Laurence Harvey brings a great deal of complexity to the part of Shaw, making the character of Raymond Shaw sympathetic and warm in addition to his mostly cold persona.
Harvey's performance is what ultimately makes Shaw's character, and the film, succeed, in my opinion. Shaw's love interest Jocelyn (played by Leslie Parrish) helps flesh out his portrayal of Raymond, as we get to really see what he could have been had he been able to live on with Jocelyn and the warmth with which he was welcomed into her family. The rounding out of his character adds a great deal to the tragedy and horror of his murdering her, and her father, while he is under control of the brainwashing. In the original film, I am always struck by how Laurence Harvey steps over her body on the floor, on his way out, and he starts to walk as if his knees are buckling...and then on the way out you see tears streaming down his face. He's still in brainwash-mode, but something's coming through; Harvey's performance was absolutely great in this movie; he is alternately chilly, condescending, terrifying, warm, boyish, and "loveable". But he ultimately commands sympathy and empathy...a beautiful performance that never fails to move me upon each re-viewing of this mesmerizing film.
The only complaint of characters I have is of Rosie (Janet Leigh), who seems completely unnecessary, but in those days it was often common to have a love interest for the protagonist, whether or not her presence furthered the story at all. But whereas the character of Jocelyn is completely needed for Shaw, Rosie seems rather arbitrary.
I have the Special Edition DVD release of the original; I definately won't be buying the remake.
The 2004 version/comparison of the two films: I rented and watched the remake recently, out of curiousity, in addition to an attempt on my part to be open-minded (for once, lol) about a remake of a classic. Well, once again I was disappointed with a modern remake of an old Hollywood classic. And to compare them makes the remake look even worse.
For instance, the first five minutes of the 2004 version look like a VH1 ad, of course. Viacom = Paramount = VH1.
The characters aren't developed enough to make the audience particularly care about them; especially Liev Shreiber as Raymond Shaw. In the original, there was a lot of background on Shaw's relationship with Jocelyn, and you actually developed sympathy for him; but mainly, Laurence Harvey was an outstanding actor. The heartfelt love between Raymond and Jocelyn was expanded upon much more, in addition to the warmth Raymond shared with her father, Senator Jordan. As a reseult, the girl's and her father's murders in the 1962 version was much more horrifying. In the remake, there's no underlying emotion when he kills them. As a result, we, as the audience, really don't care.
"Why don't you pass the time by playing a little Solitaire?" to trigger the brainwashing "spells" is a lot creepier and more ominous (especially as it would come at inopportune times, in the original, such as when Shaw would be sitting in a bar) than the person's name just being repeated, in full, to incite the brainwashing. Also, in the remake, they saw fit to have some kind of silly pale "aura" every time the influence of the brainwashing came to the surface. In the original, Harvey would get a really peaceful expression on his face, and that was enough, and it was much creepier. Uhm, you know, as in acting to create the feeling? Remember acting, instead of just special effects? Liev Shreiber tries his best to emulate Laurence Harvey in the original; it's apparent that he studied the 1962 version. But trying to mimic another actor's performance usually isn't a good technique, and this is no exception. Whereas Harvey was able to be sympathetic and expressive, in addition to being cold, Shreiber is just plain cold. He's just not a good enough actor; at the very least, he's not in Laurence Harvey's league. His characterization makes Shaw completely uninteresting and stiff, and a lot of what made the original film work so well is the overwhelming empathy the audience cannot help but have for Shaw.
Sinatra's performance was much better, and much more sympathetic, than Denzel Washington's. Denzel Washington mostly just clenched his jaw, and I usually like his performances.
Also, in the original, it seems more believable that Rosie would let a strange man into her apartment, in those days. Sinatra's character comes across as actually ill, and in need of sympathy, instead of just crazy. In the remake, Rosie basically just comes on to Captain Marco when he's on the train. Sure, invite him on over, girl! It was obvious right then and there that she was in on it somehow, in the remake.
Meryl Streep as Mrs. Iselin in the 2004 version seems to be re-running her same exact mannerisms and characterizations as for her role in "Death Becomes Her", and just only slightly toned down. It seems evident that she drew on her own past performance in another movie, and a comedy no less, for this.
In the scene where she gets ready to kiss Shaw on the mouth, I wondered, "In the original, she kissed him, what's she going to do in this one?" Well, she just kisses him, thankfully, but the camera cuts away right as the kiss starts. In the original, Lansbury's character kisses Shaw full on the mouth, which of course makes your skin crawl, even in black and white, and even though Lansbury had her hand over their mouths, it was obvious she was full-on kissing him. In the remake they brushed over it and really avoided the intensity that scene had in the original. And the level of evil and menace Lansbury brought to the role isn't even touched by Streep's over-the-top perfomance.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the saying goes. Forget the remake. See the original if you haven't already done so, and add it to your collection.
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