Opening old wounds

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(review from July, 2004)

At one time, I had found certain remakes fascinating. If I didn't, I wouldn't have seen Gus Van Sant's reprehensible "Psycho" or the abysmal redo of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Remaking the John Frankenheimer classic, "The Manchurian Candidate," seems almost sacrilegous. Still, despite its many flaws, the Jonathan Demme remake has moments of terror and intense thrills but it is relatively uninspired.

The opening frames of "The Manchurian Candidate" are set during the Gulf War, where a group of soldiers play cards inside a tank (a group of songs and fade-outs signify a long period of time in the tank). Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) and Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) lead their unit to an ambush where they are attacked by helicopters. It is so chaotic that Marco passes out, unable to recall what happened. Years later, as he explains his story to a classroom of potential soldiers, he reminds them that despite the horror of war, a Congressional Medal of Honor is still worth the risk. The medal was won by Shaw, not Marco, who defended his troops in need. Now Shaw is up for a vice-presidential election, but he does not look like a man ready for politics - he mostly sits in hotel suites by himself and appears detached. Not your normal vice-presidential nominee.

By contrast, Marco is suffering from endless nightmares, usually one where his fellow soldiers are executed by Shaw. To keep from sleeping, Marco buys a lot of noodles and Nodoz. His apartment is always shown in disarray, packed with newspapers and clippings on the walls. After being reminded of his nightmare by one soldier, Melvin (a forceful Jeffrey Wright), Marco decides to seek the truth by asking Shaw what happened. Only the powers that be don't want him anywhere near Shaw, especially when Shaw's mother, Sen. Eleanor Shaw (Meryl Streep), wants Shaw to be president, by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Marco tries to piece the truth together, discovering that Manchurian Global, a worldwide corporation with ties to many powerful leaders, may have financially gained from the war. They may also be responsible for brainwashing soldiers, and perhaps they are seeking a "sleeper" to be in the White House.

If you have seen the original 1962 film, then a lot of this is probably very familiar. To be fair, Demme injects his own touches and the screenplay by Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris (based on George Axelrod's original script) injects a new threat over communism: large-scale corporations that fund wars. The problem is that the screenplay often aims to explicate scenes from the original rather than insinuate. The nightmare itself, which is frightening to watch, comes much too soon in the film. The ability by which soldiers are brainwashed is also revealed in tight close-ups of a medical procedure that would make doctors rather squeamish! Sometimes the film reaches for melodramatic, slightly overdone scenes such as Marco's retrieval of a chip in his skin, or the terminally overlong ending that aims for resolution rather than ambiguity. The beauty of the original "Candidate" is that it left so much to the imagination. Even one of the strangest scenes in cinema history with the original actors, Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh, proved why the film worked on your nerves - the paranoia and deterioration of political corruption certainly put me in a cold sweat through most of the movie.

Demme's version lack the original's paranoia - in many ways, this is just another anonymous political thriller with the benefit of superlative performances. Denzel has many great moments, especially his conversations with Raymond Shaw. And Liev Schreiber (who I hope will finally receive star recognition) is a standout as the oblique Shaw - his creepy smile at the end of the film is memorable. Kudos must also go to Meryl Streep (an actress I often dislike) playing the first truly bitchy, outspoken character in her whole career - she is also oblique and not as mannered as she usually appears. Jon Voight has a terrifically spry scene as another senator.

"The Manchurian Candidate" is worthwhile for its performances and for Demme's flashy direction and knowing sense of subjectivity. What it lacks is a genuine sense of purpose.