Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review
By: The Dweeb
December 2004
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The current Hollywood mantra these days is the modern remake. Be it either faithful to the original or a complete reinterpretation, it seems that Producers must be running out of ideas. A lot of times they end up paling in comparison to the original, witness Planet Of The Apes. Or, they will eclipse the original and become a far better version, like Ocean’s 11. In either case, these ‘remakes’ offer a new vision and run down a different path which can be very risky. Manchurian Candidate has made that same risk, but it paid off for director Jonathan Demme.
Although it stays true to the heart of the Frank Sinatra classic, they could have not even called it a remake and it could have stood on its own. By placing the story in a fictional modern world, it still translated very well on screen. Manchurian Candidate is a complex film, making it hard to pin down what kind of film this is. It’s a political thriller, no wait, it’s film noir, or some psychedelic thing. On second thought, maybe a Greek tragedy? Ok, so there isn’t really a good way to label this. All I know is that its disturbing at the very least to watch, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off the screen.
The story moves around quickly, only giving the audience a small piece like some giant puzzle that needed to be solved. After a while it becomes hard to distinguish between what is real and not real. Or was it ever real at all? The film remains in motion up until the very end, even then things do not conclude with a clear answer. Hmmm, maybe another viewing is in order. The clues are all in there somewhere, but things go by so fast I can hardly keep up with current events.
This new version is anchored by the strong performances by the cast, all of which are movie veterans. This film may be a star vehicle for Denzel Washington, the real knockout performance is given by Meryl Streep. She is almost unrecognizable as she delves deep into the role of Eleanor Shaw. She is an extreme example of a mother who tries to control her son, always pushing and prodding Raymond (Liev Schreiber) into what she wants him to do. Their relationship is very unsettling, I would characterize it as an Oedipus complex in reverse. She is a powerful character, pulling almost everyone’s strings to get what she wants. I don’t think her resemblance to a current Senator from New York was not lost on the filmmakers.
In fact, although this is a fictional account, it closely mirrors the political climate when the film was made, which may in fact work against it as it ages. The film will be outdated quickly, already eclipsed by current events as this election cycle is over. Whatever political leanings the filmmakers had, there is no more controversy to stir up as it is now nullified. Over time, this will just be another blip on the Hollywood landscape.
The video and audio transfer yields no surprises, as does the rest of the features. This edition is typical of a first release and provides an adequate amount of extras to satisfy the DVD buying masses. Most of it is standard issue, Making of documentary, deleted scenes, that sort of thing. An odd piece on there is the Political Pundits feature. I will admit I didn’t see it all the way through but was it real or staged? And what was the point too? Again, the extras are fairly decent for a disc that is well suited for the rental market.
Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!
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