The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

In the midst of the Gulf War, soldiers are kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Richard Condon (novel), George Axelrod,

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Kimberly Elise

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeffrey Wright	...	Al Melvin
Pablo Schreiber	...	Eddie Ingram
Anthony Mackie	...	Robert Baker
Dorian Missick	...	Owens
Jose Pablo Cantillo	...	Villalobos
Teddy Dunn	...	Wilson
Joaquin Perez-Campbell	...	Atkins
Tim Artz	...	Jameson
Denzel Washington	...	Ben Marco
Robyn Hitchcock	...	Laurent Tokar
Liev Schreiber	...	Raymond Shaw
Antoine Taylor	...	Boy Scout #1
Joseph Alessi	...	Boy Scout #2
Raymond Anthony Thomas	...	Scout Dad (as Ray Anthony Thomas)
Bill Irwin	...	Scoutmaster

Storyline

When his army unit was ambushed during the first Gulf War, Sergeant Raymond Shaw saved his fellow soldiers just as his commanding officer, then-Captain Ben Marco, was knocked unconscious. Brokering the incident for political capital, Shaw eventually becomes a vice-presidential nominee, while Marco is haunted by dreams of what happened -- or didn't happen -- in Kuwait. As Marco (now a Major) investigates, the story begins to unravel, to the point where he questions if it happened at all. Is it possible the entire unit was kidnapped and brainwashed to believe Shaw is a war hero as part of a plot to seize the White House? Some very powerful people at Manchurian Global corporation appear desperate to stop him from finding out.

---

Plot Keywords:

gulf war | soldier | war hero | kuwait | vice presidential candidate | 

---

Taglines:

Everything is under control.

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramont [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Manchurian Kandidat

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$130,275 (South Africa) (10 December 2004)

Gross:

£1,915,402 (UK) (10 December 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Clinica Estetico

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie opens with Marco's and Shaw's fellow soldiers playing a card game; this is a reference to The Manchurian Candidate, in which cards play a very important role in the plot.

---

Goofs

The length of Tom Jordan's paddle (it's too short for his height) and the way he paddles the kayak reveals that he's not an experienced kayaker as the movie states.

---

Quotes

Ben Marco: [being brainwashed over the phone] Yes, senator?
Eleanor Shaw: Is this Captain Marco?
Ben Marco: Yep.
Eleanor Shaw: Captain Bennet Marco?
Ben Marco: Yes.
Eleanor Shaw: Bennet Ezikiel Marco?
Ben Marco: ...yes.
Eleanor Shaw: ...Listen.

---

Connections

Features Apollo 13 (1995)

---

Soundtracks

"The Leaves Are Gone"
by Josh Garza, Benjamin Curtis & Brandon Curtis
Performed by Secret Machines (as The Secret Machines)
Courtesy of Reprise Records
by arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

Less powerful, less edgy, and less intelligent than the original.

Three months ago I watched the original Manchurian Candidate on DVD. I was amazed on how good this movie is, and how well it holds up after 42 years of its release in movie theaters.

So, yesterday when I watched the 2004 version directed by Jonathan Demme it was impossible for me not to compare the two films.

Without the existence of the original, Demme's effort could be defined as a good (not outstanding) political thriller and it's easy to think that this definition is compatible with the general opinion of today's audiences.

But (a big but) in reality there is an original, and it is so good, so brave, and so well written that this new version almost feels pointless.

In adapting the story to modern day Jonathan Demme made more wrong choices than good ones diminishing the power and intensity of the original.

This remake took out some key dramatic elements that work marvelously in the original film inserting some new and poorly written plot twists changing and damaging the dramatic resolution.

This version is inferior in almost every level (the only exception is the acting). It is less powerful, less edgy, and less intelligent.

Fortunately for Demme the original picture is not as well known as classics like 'Casablanca' and this will allow his film to find a moderate positive acceptance.