Rating: R
Genre:
Thriller
Theatrical Release: 07/30/2004(USA)
Release Date: 07/21/2009
Flags: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity
Distributor/Studio: Paramount
Jonathan Demme directed this updated remake of
John Frankenheimer's 1962 cult favorite
The Manchurian Candidate, a pioneering examination of political conspiracy and psychological reconditioning.
Major Bennett Marco (
Denzel Washington) and
Sergeant Raymond Shaw (
Liev Schreiber) are two soldiers who served in the same company during Operation Desert Storm, but their paths following their tours of duty have been very different.
Shaw, the son of powerful congresswoman
Eleanor Shaw (
Meryl Streep), has used his reputation as a war hero to quickly scale the ladder of American politics, and with the help of his mother earns the Vice Presidential nomination.
Marco, on the other hand, has been troubled with mental illness, and is convinced that something strange happened to him and his compatriots during the war. As
Marco struggles to find the truth behind his nightmares and emotional torment, he unearths some disturbing facts about how his mind and body have been reworked by shadowy forces, as well as those of his fellow soldiers -- including
Raymond Shaw. Featuring a stellar supporting cast (including
Jon Voight,
Miguel Ferrer,
Ted Levine, and
Dean Stockwell),
The Manchurian Candidate credits
George Axelrod's screenplay for the 1962 film as its source, as opposed to
Richard Condon's 1959 novel from which
Axelrod adapted his script.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
;)
