The Manchurian Candidate (1962) parents guide

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Parent Guide

A sympathetic perspective, and an outstanding performance by Angela Lansbury in a secondary role, contributes to the unforgettable nature of this film.

Overall B-

Can a person be hypnotized and commanded to do things against his moral nature? The question long debated by experts, is one being asked by Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) when he looks up his former commanding officer Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) and tries to piece together some repressed war memories.

Release date October 24, 1962

Violence C-
Sexual Content C+
Profanity B
Substance Use C

Why is The Manchurian Candidate (1962) rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Manchurian Candidate (1962) PG-13

Run Time: 126 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Can a person be hypnotized and commanded to do things against his moral nature?

The question long debated by experts, is one being asked by Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra). Although he is not a specialist on the subject, the military man has begun to consider the possibility because of a recurring nightmare.

While in the depths of sleep, Marco sees himself with a group of other soldiers he served with during the Korean War. In the typical nonsensical nature of dreams, he and his fellows are sitting at a garden party for a horticultural society. However, the other attendees keep shifting form. One moment they are tea-sipping ladies, the next, they are men in Russian or Chinese uniforms. The keynote speaker keeps changing too. At first, she’s a woman droning on and on about hydrangeas, then suddenly, he’s a man discussing the power of hypnosis.

The real horror starts when the lecturer calls upon Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), Marco’s commanding officer, and asks him to kill some of the members of their company. Worse yet, Shaw obeys his order.

When he awakes, the Major is torn by the absurdity of his subconscious accusations. How can he be entertaining such abhorrent thoughts about Raymond Shaw? Not only is the former Sergeant an upstanding citizen and the stepson of an up-and-coming U.S. senator, but he is also a Congressional Medal winner-whom Marco himself recommended as “the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being” he’s ever known..

The torment of the nagging suspicions eventually forces the suffering serviceman to take sick leave. But his mental health takes a turn for the better when he accidentally discovers another of his old army buddies is suffering from similar visions. With this additional evidence, Marco is assigned to be part of an FBI investigation.

A classic mystery movie, The Manchurian Candidate is too intense for young audiences. Although containing such content as a smattering of mild profanities, main characters drowning their troubles in alcohol, a brief incestuous kiss and some friendly females at a whorehouse, these concerns pale in comparison to the greater issue - the portrayals of violence.

In an era of special and digitized effects, parents might believe any black and white film crafted in the 1960’s could hardly compete. Yet in a backhanded way, the lack of such fantasy-like enhancement makes the action in this flick much more realistic. In a hand-to-hand conflict, the participants get winded, injured, and resort to trying to gouge out each others eyes, without any of the popular, stylized choreography. The several murders occurring in the story are depicted in such a cold and mechanical manner, that they’ll send shivers the down viewer’s spine, whether or not they include blood.

So what makes this movie worth watching? Perhaps it is Major Marco’s changing opinion of his former superior. At first critical of his cold-heartedness, Marco’s primary objective is to root out the dark secret that connects him to Sgt. Shaw. But his focus changes as he peels back the mysterious layers of the tragic man’s life. For the recovering Marco (and maybe the audience as well), what he discovers will ultimately redefine his understanding of the word valor.

This sympathetic perspective, and an outstanding performance by Angela Lansbury in a secondary role, contributes to the unforgettable nature of this film. For adults and older teens looking for a compelling thriller, this one is sure to hypnotize.

Directed by John Frankenheimer. Starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury. Running time: 126 minutes. Theatrical release October 24, 1962. Updated

Watch the trailer for The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Manchurian Candidate (1962) rated PG-13? The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA

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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Parents' Guide

Do you believe in hypnotism or in the possibility of it being powerful enough to override the human conscience?

The ability to control others plays a significant role in this movie. What different devices are used to get that power? Are there people or phobias in your life to which you surrender your self-will?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Manchurian Candidate (1962) movie is March 15, 2016. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: The Manchurian Candidate

Release Date: 15 March 2016

The Manchurian Candidate re-releases to home video (Blu-ray) with the following extras:
- Audio commentary from 1997 featuring director John Frankenheimer
- New interview with actor Angela Lansbury
- New piece featuring filmmaker Errol Morris discussing his appreciation for The Manchurian Candidate
- Conversation between Frankenheimer, screenwriter George Axelrod, and actor Frank Sinatra from 1988
- New interview with historian Susan Carruthers about the Cold War brainwashing scare
- Trailer

The Manchurian Candidate releases to DVD on July 13, 2004. Bonus extras include:

- Interview with Frank Sinatra, George Axelrod, and John Frankenheimer

-Featurette with William Friedkin

-Featurette with Angela Lansbury

-Photo gallery

-Anamorphic widescreen transfer and remastered 5.1 Dolby soundtrack

Related home video titles:

Jimmy Stewart’s character faces a similar dilemma in Rear Window, when he tries to prove his suspicions about a possible murder. Hypnotics are featured as a form of treatment for a man who claims he is from another planet in the movie K-Pax.

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