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Actors: Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Manchurian Candidate (2004) |
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Ben Marco (Washington), a veteran of the first Gulf War, learns that some of the men under his command suffer from similar recurrent nightmares. His suspicions grow that something was done to all of them, and that the story of a subordinate, Raymond Shaw (Schreiber), who won the Medal of Honor during action which injured Marco and others, may not be what they all thought it was. By this time Raymond, whose mother Eleanor (Streep) is a member of the U.S. Congress, is running for Vice President. Marco is determined to get to the bottom of what looks like an elaborate plot ultimately to place a brainwashed man in the White House. This 2004 summer blockbuster is a remake of the 1962 John Frankenheimer classic, in which the Chinese Communists were the enemy (although an evil corporation, not the communists, are the enemy in this film).
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Major Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) is a career soldier who fought in Desert Storm and returns with a diagnosis of fatigue syndrome but suspects something else has occured to give him severe mightmares and recurring dreams. He is distressed to find a former buddy (Squad Sergeant Raymond Shaw) is running for Vice-President and is determined to find out why he does not trust Shaw.
His perserverence leads him to suspect he and the other members of his squad were "brainwashed" while overseas but does not know who has done this to him or why.
--dena farquharson, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Manchurian Candidate (2004) |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Time/Era of Movie:
- present (2000-2010)
Spying & Terrorists
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- finding an assassin
Amnesia story
Yes
The terrorist enemy is...
- billionaire/big corp
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
Age:
- 40's-50's
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- mind control
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- short/standard curly (man)
Body type
- muscular (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- caring
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) very short/crewcut
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- muscular (man)
- average (woman)
How much in movie?
- 40%
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
- (woman) long wavey
Body type
- average (woman)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
- resort/hotel
- fort/military installation
- scientific labs
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- challenged
- concerned
How many deaths in film?
- 3-4
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 6 (an above average amount)
Kind of violence:
- air battles
- land battles
- mission to destroy something
- hand to hand
- guns
- knives
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Lot of special effects?
Yes
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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