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The Manchurian Candidate
MGM
- Cert:
- Cat.no: 15854 DVD
- Running time: 122 minutes
- Year: 1962
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2 (UK PAL)
- Chapters: 24 plus extras
- Sound: Mono (Dolby Digital 2.0)
- Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish
- Subtitles: 11 languages available
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-enhanced: No
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras : Scene index, Trailer, Interviews, Director’s Commentary
Director:
- John Frankenheimer
(Birdman of Alcatraz, The French Connection II, Grand Prix, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin, The Train)
Producers:
- George Axelrod and John Frankenheimer
Screenplay:
- George Axelrod
Music :
- David Amram
Cast :
- Captain Bennett Marco: Frank Sinatra
Raymond Shaw: Laurence Harvey
Rosie Chaney: Janet Leigh
Mrs. Iselin: Angela Lansbury
Chunjin (Interpretor/Guide/Raymond Shaw’s Valet): Henry Silva
Senator John Iselin: James Gregory
If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won’t know what it’s all about! and when you’ve seen it all, you’ll swear there’s never been anything like it, says the advertising blurb in the trailer.
Korea 1952. There’s a war on and Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is made a sergeant and given the chance to meet the President, presuming they have no trouble in electing one, as he displayed valour above and beyond the call of duty, single-handedly saving the lives of nine members of his patrol, capturing an enemy machine-gun nest and taking out a full company of enemy infantry. He led his patrol, listed as missing in action for three days, back through the enemy lines to safety.
Back home, Captain Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is made a Major for his war efforts, but begins to have strange nightmares about Raymond going completely round the bend and doing things he wouldn’t normally do in life. Is it an overactive imagination of his, or is Raymond affected by his incredibly-overbearing mother, Mrs. Iselin (Angela Lansbury) ? With an appearance by Janet Leigh too, is there something Psycho-tic about it? And where does the mysterious Chunjin (Henry Silva) fit into all this?
The film was shot in black and white and as well as many print flecks and scratches, the picture is not anamorphic which is a shame, the widescreen ratio being the original 1.85:1. The average bitrate is 6.79Mb/s, often peaking over 8Mb/s.
The sound is basic mono. It’s not at all outstanding, but then doesn’t get much chance to shine anyway.
Extras :
These consist of a near-two-minute Theatrical Trailer, eight minutes of Interviews with Frank Sinatra, George Axelrod and John Frankenheimer, or rather back-slapping discussions between the three, mixed in with film clips, plus a feature-length Director’s Commentary.
MGM DVDs usually contain 32 chapters, but this one only has 24. It’s a decent enough number though, given the running time. The main menu has subtle animation and music.
Dialogue comes in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian. Subtitles in 11: English (and hard of hearing), French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese and Polish.
This film appeared to set out with an enigmatic premise, but actually turned out to be quite drawn out and boring until the last half-hour. The lack of many extras nor an anamorphic transfer lead me to suggest a rental only if you must watch it.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL 
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.