Changes

}}

}}

'''''The Manchurian Candidate''''' is a 1962 Hollywood film based on the idea that hypnosis could produce a man involuntarily programmed to commit murder, an idea popular at the time but now thoroughly discredited. (As is now well known, no one can be hypnotized against his will, and hypnosis cannot make anyone violate his conscience.) <!-- Need link to APA study and court rulings based on it. -->

'''''The Manchurian Candidate''''' is a 1962 Hollywood film based on the idea that hypnosis could produce a man involuntarily programmed to commit murder, an idea popular at the time but now thoroughly discredited. (As is now well known, no one can be hypnotized against his will, and hypnosis cannot make anyone violate his conscience.) <!-- Need link to APA study and court rulings based on it. -->

The plot is about a Chinese conspiracy to "[[brainwash]]" an American [[POW]] into becoming an unwitting assassin of a candidate for [[President of the United States]] and thus allowing a villain to become President.  The film, based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, was directed by John Frankenheimer, gained an almost [[cult]]-like following. It represented a new psychological twist in spy movies, playing upon widespread fears at the time that American POWs in Korea were being systematically brainwashed.<ref> It was later realized that sort of brainwashing depicted in the film was impossible. The Communist abused prisoners but made no attempt to control them once freed. On the fears see Susan L. Carruthers, "Redeeming The Captives: Hollywood and the Brainwashing of America's Prisoners of War in Korea." ''Film History'' 1998 10(3): 275-294</ref>. It is considered by many to be the best political thriller ever made.

The plot is about a Chinese conspiracy to "[[brainwash]]" an American [[POW]] into becoming an unwitting assassin of a candidate for [[President of the United States]] and thus allowing a villain to become President.  The film, based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, was directed by John Frankenheimer, gained an almost [[cult]]-like following. It represented a new psychological twist in spy movies, playing upon widespread fears at the time that American POWs in Korea were being systematically brainwashed.<ref>It was later realized that sort of brainwashing depicted in the film was impossible. The Communist abused prisoners but made no attempt to control them once freed. On the fears see Susan L. Carruthers, "Redeeming The Captives: Hollywood and the Brainwashing of America's Prisoners of War in Korea." ''Film History'' 1998 10(3): 275-294</ref>  It is considered by many to be the best political thriller ever made.

== Cast ==

== Cast ==

* [[Frank Sinatra]] as Captain (later Major) Bennett Marco, [[United States Army|USA]], veteran of the [[Korean War]] and attached to Army G-2.

* [[Frank Sinatra]] as Captain (later Major) Bennett Marco, [[United States Army|USA]], veteran of the [[Korean War]] and attached to Army G-2.

At the time of its release in 1962, the film defied plot analysis or genre categorization, but the film's subject of US soldiers brainwashed by Chinese forces during the Korean War found particular resonance in US popular culture. Beginning in 1952, popular journalists frightened and titillated their readers with sometimes dubious tales of Communist mind-control techniques.  

At the time of its release in 1962, the film defied plot analysis or genre categorization, but the film's subject of US soldiers brainwashed by Chinese forces during the Korean War found particular resonance in US popular culture. Beginning in 1952, popular journalists frightened and titillated their readers with sometimes dubious tales of Communist mind-control techniques.  

Some critics who analyzed the film in 1962-63, however, saw the film as a [[leftist]] commentary on McCarthyism - the character of Senator John Irkes Iselin, the stepfather of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, bears striking resemblances to Joseph McCarthy, if only as parody and burlesque. The film's real target was "Mom-ism," since it was the supposedly invasive upbringing of Raymond Shaw by his mother that made him a good candidate for brainwashing according to some, and viewed by others as a subtle attempt to help break down the nuclear family by [[liberals]]. <ref>Susan L. Carruthers, "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) And The Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685</ref>

Some critics who analyzed the film in 1962-63, however, saw the film as a [[leftist]] commentary on McCarthyism - the character of Senator John Irkes Iselin, the stepfather of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, bears striking resemblances to Joseph McCarthy, if only as parody and burlesque. The film's real target was "Mom-ism," since it was the supposedly invasive upbringing of Raymond Shaw by his mother that made him a good candidate for brainwashing according to some, and viewed by others as a subtle attempt to help break down the nuclear family by [[liberals]].<ref>Susan L. Carruthers, "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) And The Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685</ref>

A key premise of the movie was that it was possible to [[brainwash]] or hypnotize an unsuspecting prisoner into committing murder. This was a widespread fear in the 1950s, and Ronald Reagan had starred in another film about brainwashing of American POWs in Korea.

A key premise of the movie was that it was possible to [[brainwash]] or hypnotize an unsuspecting prisoner into committing murder. This was a widespread fear in the 1950s, and Ronald Reagan had starred in another film about brainwashing of American POWs in Korea.

The movie was remade with [[Denzel Washington]] in the Sinatra role and [[Liev Schreiber]] as a the assassin controlled by a [[microchip]] brain implant. The villains in the remake are not communists, but simply people with a vague political agenda.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manchurian_candidate/about.php 'Rotten Tomatoes' Plot Summary]</ref> Critics and fans panned the remake.

The movie was remade with [[Denzel Washington]] in the Sinatra role and [[Liev Schreiber]] as a the assassin controlled by a [[microchip]] brain implant. The villains in the remake are not communists, but simply people with a vague political agenda.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manchurian_candidate/about.php 'Rotten Tomatoes' Plot Summary]</ref> Critics and fans panned the remake.

==Colloquial Usage==  

==Colloquial Usage==

In modern day usage, to describe a political candidate as a "Manchurian Candidate" is to say that they are hiding their real beliefs in hope of being elected, and afterwords able to advance their hidden agenda.  [[Barack Obama]] is frequently accused of being a Muslim Manchurian Candidate, by [http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=79411 WorldNetDaily] and other sources.

In modern day usage, to describe a political candidate as a "Manchurian Candidate" is to say that they are hiding their real beliefs in hope of being elected, and afterwords able to advance their hidden agenda.  [[Barack Obama]] is frequently accused of being a Muslim Manchurian Candidate, by [http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=79411 WorldNetDaily] and other sources.

* Seed, David. '' Brainwashing: the fictions of mind control : a study of novels and films'' (2004) ch 5. [http://books.google.com/books?id=YsVFqZIuus0C&pg=PA106&dq=%22manchurian+candidate%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=2007&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]  

* Seed, David. '' Brainwashing: the fictions of mind control : a study of novels and films'' (2004) ch 5. [http://books.google.com/books?id=YsVFqZIuus0C&pg=PA106&dq=%22manchurian+candidate%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=2007&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]  

== Also See ==

== See also ==

* [[Frank Sinatra]]

* [[Frank Sinatra]]