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IMDb > The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate
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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.3/10   32,444 votes
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Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Richard Condon (novel)
George Axelrod (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Manchurian Candidate on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 October 1962 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it! more
Plot:
A former Korean War POW is brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin. But another former prisoner may know how to save him. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(35 articles)
Review: The Box – can’t get no satisfaction
 (From t5m.com. 7 December 2009, 7:43 AM, PST)

Birthday Suits: Good Hair, and Good Music.
 (From FilmExperience. 14 November 2009, 7:29 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Belongs in Top 50 Dramas more (250 total)

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Additional Details

Runtime:
126 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby SR | Dolby Digital
Certification:
Finland:(Banned) (1964) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (uncut) | UK:A (1962) (cut) | West Germany:16 (f) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:PG-13

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Senator Iselin's plane in real life was owned by Frank Sinatra. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Rosie and Ben meet on the train, the train passes the same water tower and countryside twice. more
Quotes:
[last lines]
Bennett Marco: Poor Raymond. Poor friendless, friendless Raymond. He was wearing his medal when he died.
[reads from a book of U.S Army citations]
Bennett Marco: You should read some of the citations sometime. Just read them. Taken, eight prisoners, killing four enemy in the process while one leg and one arm was shattered and he could only crawl because the other leg had been blown off - Edwards. Wounded five times, dragged himself across the direct fire of three enemy machine guns to pull two of his wounded men to safety amid sixty-nine dead and two hundred and three casualties - Holderman.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) more
Soundtrack:
The Twelve Days of Christmas more

FAQ

How closely does the movie follow the book?
Who is the "Manchurian candidate"?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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20 out of 34 people found the following review useful.
Belongs in Top 50 Dramas, 15 January 2000
Author: Edi Garcia from New Jersey

Manchurian Candidate is, quite simply, the best political thriller of all time. I can't think of another that keeps me on the edge of my seat, even on the tenth viewing. The incredible script, Angela Lansbury's Dearest Mommy, the effective use of black & white film for a movie about issues that were anything but black & white--I could go on and on.

I know that most people rave about Ms. Lansbury above all the other cast members, but--for me--Frank Sinatra wins the prize hands down. His disbelief, and then his disillusionment, and then his despair are perfectly portrayed. There were really two Sinatras, the singer AND the great actor.

In watching The Manchurian Candidate again and again, I never cease to be amazed at its prescient theme, the danger of the combination of fanaticism and patriotic fervor. Goldwater's famous quote comes to mind, "Extremism in the defense of virtue is no vice". In my opinion, this film just gets better with age.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Mrs. Iselin toastmoocow
The real reason it's not a great film Bluemoon_Royale
Angela Lansbury's Accent eldnepm
Was the Sentator Iselin meant to look like Nixon? ribak
A QUESTION dwaitkoss-1
Something you don't see nowadays bruchsie7
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