The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

3 corrected entries

(3 votes)

Corrected entry: Released in 1962, the film was put on the shelf after its initial run because its plot reminded people a little too much of the Kennedy assassination the year later. It wasn't available again until it was released for home video in 1988.

Correction: This story has been refuted as a complete fabrication. There are various theories as to why this rumor was started, but it is a rumor nonetheless.

Corrected entry: In the scene where Cap. Marco has his dream, in the shots of him asleep before it fades to the dream you can see him open his eyes twice.

Correction: Not a mistake. He's supposed to be in REM state and his eyelids flutter open a couple of times. This was a way of depicting the fitful sleep Marco was experiencing night after night.

Corrected entry: When Frank Sinatra walks into his apartment carrying a copy of the New York Post, the headlines are visible on the screen. The main headline is about the death of Senator Jordan and Jocie; it takes up most of the front page, and this is obviously what the audience is meant to read. However, above the words "New York Post" there is another headline - "VIOLENT HURRICANE HITS MIDWEST: 20 DEAD, HUNDREDS HOMELESS." Curious considering a hurricane hitting the Midwest is about as likely as one hitting Siberia.

Correction: Such a headline, which actually said SWEEPS not HITS, is plausible if one looks at the history of hurricanes such as Audrey or Camille. Or even this 1998 CNN.com headline: "Upper Midwest hit by hurricane-force storm: 5 dead; hundreds of thousands without power" (http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/9805/31/midwest.storms/) And there is a Midwest Hurricane Center in St. Louis, MO.

Factual error: The movie is set in the mid 1950s, as established by the cars and 48-star American flag cake seen at the party scene. However, the convention hall at Madison Square Garden has 50-star American flags hanging from the ceiling.

More mistakes in The Manchurian Candidate

Marco: It's not that Raymond Shaw is hard to like. He's impossible to like.

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Question: The whole plot of this movie makes no sense. What was the purpose of having all the soldiers "brainwashed' when they just used one to carry out what they wanted? Plus, why go to the trouble of doing all this when they could have just hired an assassin? Plus, how did they know, in 1952, that this man would be chosen to be the Vice-President?

wolfman

Answer: It's confusing. The entire platoon was brainwashed to be witnesses and verify the fabricated story that Raymond was a "war hero" who saved their lives. Raymond was unknowingly mentally programmed to become a sleeper agent to be used when needed by the Russians or Chinese. He was chosen because Raymond's monstrous mother, Eleanor Iselin, was married to a ruthless, ambitious "Joseph McCarthy-esque" U.S. Senator. She was propelling her husband into being their party's presidential candidate and contacted Communist agents to arrange for her husband's political rival to be assassinated. She was initially unaware that her son would be the chosen assassin. Raymond, being brainwashed, never realised he was a programmed assassin who would have no memory of executing his assignments. He apparently was recruited because of his step-father's political position. It is a rather incredulous plot, to say the least.

raywest

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