What is the plot of the Manchurian Candidate?
According to Dictionary, The Free Dictionary, and IMDb, the book The Manchurian Candidate was a 1959 political thriller written by Richard Condon. In the book, the reader learns about a conspiracy. In this conspiracy, a soldier named Raymond Shaw is captured while in battle during the Korean War.
Is there a remake of the Manchurian Candidate?
For the 2004 remake, see The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film). The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American neo-noir, psychological political thriller about the Cold War and sleeper agents. The film was directed and produced by John Frankenheimer. The screenplayis by George Axelrod, based on the 1959 Richard Condon novel The Manchurian Candidate.
How many pages are in the Manchurian Candidate study guide?
This Study Guide consists of approximately 33 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Manchurian Candidate. The Manchurian Candidate Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book.
Who is Shaw in the Manchurian Candidate?
In 2004, Jonathan Demme directed another take on the Manchurian Candidate, starring Denzel Washington as Marco and Liev Schreiber as Shaw. In Demme’s version, Shaw is a US representative and vice presidential candidate who can be mind-controlled by nanotechnology.
Who wrote the Manchurian Candidate?
Who is Shaw's new manservant?
Why does Shaw use the Queen of Diamonds card?
Who is Marco's love interest?
Was The Manchurian Candidate adapted into a movie?
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About this website
What is the message of The Manchurian Candidate?
A satirical thriller conjured out of the suppressed fears of that second life, The Manchurian Candidate is a flop-sweat fantasia on political conspiracies, right-wing nut jobs under the secret control of Communist handlers, and state-sponsored brainwashing and assassination as practical tools of realpolitik.
What does the Manchurian mean?
of or relating to Manchuria, a region of NE China, or its inhabitants. noun. a native or inhabitant of Manchuria.
What is Frankenheimer saying about McCarthyism with The Manchurian Candidate?
Frankenheimer says on the commentary track that he is proudest that the film hammered McCarthyism; there's a scene where the hard-drinking Sen. Iselin can't decide how many communists he thinks are in the State Department, and settles on 57 after studying a ketchup bottle.
Is The Manchurian Candidate 2004 based on a true story?
In the original, the protagonist was captured in the Korean War and brainwashed by the Chinese in the actual Manchuria....The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)The Manchurian CandidateBased onThe Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon 1962 film screenplay by George Axelrod16 more rows
What is Manchuria called today?
Manchuria, also called the Northeast, Chinese (Pinyin) Dongbei or (Wade-Giles romanization) Tung-pei, formerly Guandong or Guanwei, historical region of northeastern China. Strictly speaking, it consists of the modern provinces (sheng) of Liaoning (south), Jilin (central), and Heilongjiang (north).
Why is it called a Manchurian Candidate?
It is a term used to describe a puppet acting on behalf of a foreign enemy and is commonly used to indicate disloyalty or corruption. The phrase comes from a book published in 1959 by author Richard Condon titled The Manchurian Candidate.
What was McCarthy's goal?
McCarthy sought to discredit his critics and political opponents by accusing them of being Communists or communist sympathizers.
Why was The Manchurian Candidate banned?
The Manchurian Candidate was banned as a film (1962) in Communist controlled countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union due to its political nature. It remained banned until the early 1990s.
How does The Manchurian Candidate relate to the Cold War?
In the words of one scholar, The Manchurian Candidate is “a central work of the Cold War and a key focus of the cultural anxieties of the time”—and in particular, the dread over what General Mark W. Clark, the United Nations commander in Korea, called the “mind annihilating methods of the Communists.”
Is Manchurian Japanese or Chinese?
Manchuria is now most often associated with the three Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. The former Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo further included the prefectures of Chengde (now in Hebei), and Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Tongliao, and Chifeng (now in Inner Mongolia).
Why was the Manchurian Incident a turning point?
Many consider this a historic turning point because the incident led to more Japanese military aggression in China. The Japanese occupied most of Manchuria during the 1930s and created a puppet stated called Manchukuo that was supposedly Chinese but ruled unofficially by Japan.
What did the Manchurian crisis lead to?
Mukden Incident, (September 18, 1931), also called Manchurian Incident, seizure of the Manchurian city of Mukden (now Shenyang, Liaoning province, China) by Japanese troops in 1931, which was followed by the Japanese invasion of all of Manchuria (now Northeast China) and the establishment of the Japanese-dominated ...
Is Manchurian a Chinese word?
Northeast China and parts of Russian Far East — the region of Northeast Asia that served as the historical homeland of the Jurchens and later their descendants Manchus, which was controlled in whole by China before the Amur Annexation in 1858-1860....ManchuriaSimplified Chinese满洲Traditional Chinese滿洲19 more rows
Why is Japan called Manchuria?
Seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. By 1937 Japan controlled large sections of China, and war crimes against the Chinese became commonplace.
Why is China called Manchuria?
The name "Manchuria" is controversial. It comes from a European adoption of the Japanese name "Manshu," which the Japanese began to use in the nineteenth century. Imperial Japan wanted to pry that area free from Chinese influence. Eventually, in the early 20th century, Japan would annex the region outright.
What was the Manchurian Incident and why did it happen?
On September 18, 1931, an explosion destroyed a section of railway track near the city of Mukden. The Japanese, who owned the railway, blamed Chinese nationalists for the incident and used the opportunity to retaliate and invade Manchuria.
The Manchurian Candidate Summary & Study Guide
“The Manchurian Candidate” revolves around the life of Raymond Shaw, a veteran American sergeant who served in the Korean War. During the War, Shaw's unit was ambushed by Soviet agents, and the men were taken to a secret Soviet psychological research facility.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film) - Wikipedia
The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American neo-noir psychological political thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme. The film, based on Richard Condon's 1959 novel of the same name and a reworking of the previous 1962 film, stars Denzel Washington as Bennett Marco, a tenacious, virtuous soldier, Liev Schreiber as Raymond Shaw, a U.S. Representative from New York, manipulated into becoming a ...
Who wrote the Manchurian Candidate?
The Manchurian Candidate is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Look up Manchurian candidate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Who is Shaw's new manservant?
Major Marco looks up Sergeant Raymond Shaw and discovers that Shaw's new manservant is someone he recognizes from Korea. Marco and the manservant start fighting in Shaw's house and both are bloodied significantly. Marco is arrested, and when Shaw sees that it is his old major they rekindle their old friendship.
Why does Shaw use the Queen of Diamonds card?
He uses the queen of diamonds card to draw out Eleanor's plan: after she obtains the vice presidential nomination for Iselin, Shaw is to shoot the presidential candidate so that Iselin can succeed him. Blaming the killing on the Communists will enable Iselin to assume dictatorial powers.
Who is Marco's love interest?
Both find love interests: for Marco, it is Rose Cheyney, whom he meets on a train; and for Raymond, it is Jocelyn Jordan, the daughter of Senator Thomas Jordan, a neighbor of Shaw's. Senator Jordan and Shaw's mother do not like each other, but Raymond continues to see Jocelyn.
Was The Manchurian Candidate adapted into a movie?
The book has twice been adapted into a feature film of the same title. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is considered a classic of the political thriller genre. It was directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Laurence Harvey as Shaw, Frank Sinatra as Marco, and Angela Lansbury as Eleanor in an Academy Award -nominated performance.
What is a Manchurian candidate?
According to Lexico, Washington Post, and Cambridge English Dictionary, Term Manchurian Candidate refers to a person who is disloyal to their own country or who harms their own country or political parties because they are under the influence of another party or country. In the past, this was associated with brainwashing due to the novel and movie The Manchurian Candidate, but it has become more generalized to refer to any politician that may have an ulterior agenda. This term has become synonymous with the term “programmed assassin.”
What are synonyms for the term Manchurian Candidate?
There are a few different phrases and words that one could choose to use in place of the term Manchurian Candidate. Synonyms are words and phrases that have the same definition as another word or phrase, and can be useful to know if you’re trying to expand your vocabulary or avoid repeating yourself. Choose to use one of these different words or phrases if you are in a less political situation where you are accusing someone of being puppet-like, or if you want to use a phrase that less implies treason. The below list of synonyms for the term of Manchurian Candidate is provided by Thesaurus .
Is Trump a Manchurian?
President Trump has been called a Manchurian Candidate in the past. In the New York Times, a reporter suggested that Trump exhibited paranoia about different American intelligence agencies but displayed a trust that verged on gullibility in Vladimir Putin’s government. Implies that he may have had an underlying motive to align with the Russian government rather than trusting or putting faith in the American government and political system. This caused many people to distrust said candidate. Term is frequently used in political discourse and implies that a certain public figure is treasonous. You should not accuse someone of being a Manchurian Candidate lightly, because it is a very serious accusation.
Where does Manchurian candidate come from?
The Manchurian Candidate was a 1959 political thriller by Richard Condon. The book details a conspiracy where a US soldier, Raymond Shaw, is captured during the Korean War and brainwashed by Chinese and Soviet agents. His brainwashing is later activated by the Communists to lead Shaw to assassinate a US presidential candidate so that his running mate, Senator Iselin, will win overwhelming support. Iselin has been put in place by his power-broker wife (also Shaw’s mother) to install a Chinese Communist dictatorship if elected. The highly convoluted plot led a reviewer for Time to suggest the book should be on a list of “Best Bad Novels.”
Who played Marco in the Manchurian Candidate?
In 2004, Jonathan Demme directed another take on the Manchurian Candidate, starring Denzel Washington as Marco and Liev Schreiber as Shaw. In Demme’s version, Shaw is a US representative and vice presidential candidate who can be mind-controlled by nanotechnology.
What was Sirhan's lawyer's claim about Kennedy?
Sirhan’s lawyer claimed that Sirhan was hypnotized and couldn’t remember killing Kennedy. This was characterized as the “ Manchurian Candidate theory.”.
Who is Shaw's running mate?
His brainwashing is later activated by the Communists to lead Shaw to assassinate a US presidential candidate so that his running mate, Senator Iselin, will win overwhelming support. Iselin has been put in place by his power-broker wife (also Shaw’s mother) to install a Chinese Communist dictatorship if elected.
Was Henry Kissinger a Manchurian?
The original movie didn’t break even at the box office, but the term Manchurian candidate soon spread into public consciousness, and was used to charge a politician in or seeking office with being brainwashed by an outside, foreign agent. Henry Kissinger was called a Manchurian candidate in 1975. And in 1977, Sirhan Sirhan launched an appeal of his guilty verdict in the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Sirhan’s lawyer claimed that Sirhan was hypnotized and couldn’t remember killing Kennedy. This was characterized as the “ Manchurian Candidate theory.”
How many pages are in the Manchurian Candidate study guide?
This Study Guide consists of approximately 33 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Manchurian Candidate.
Who did Marco shoot in Manchurian Candidate?
He shoots Johnny and his mother. Marco then goes to Raymond, allows him to remember that he has killed Josie, and Raymond kills himself in grief. More summaries and resources for teaching or studying The Manchurian Candidate. Browse all BookRags Study Guides.
What is Raymond's final assignment?
Eleanor gives Raymond his final assignment: to kill the presidential nominee, wounding Johnny in the process, so it looks like the Communists tried to take him out. During the party convention, Eleanor and Johnny go through a lot of political angling to land him the vice presidential nomination, backstabbing several supposed allies in the process to ensure their success. Meanwhile, Marco, having learned how Raymond's programming works, gets Raymond to explain everything that has happened and reprograms Raymond with a deck full of queen of diamond cards. Marco then stalls the FBI forces tracking Raymond so he can complete the new mission. At the convention, Marco watches from the floor while the FBI struggle to reach Raymond, but he fires before they can make it. He shoots Johnny and his mother. Marco then goes to Raymond, allows him to remember that he has killed Josie, and Raymond kills himself in grief.
What is Johnny's political position?
Meanwhile, Johnny angles into a powerful political position by claiming there are Communists in the Department of Defense. After declaring he has a list of their names at a major press conference, he becomes a celebrity and the head of a new committee set to seek out spies and counter-intelligence agents.
What does Marco do with Raymond?
Meanwhile, Marco, having learned how Raymond's programming works, gets Raymond to explain everything that has happened and reprograms Raymond with a deck full of queen of diamond cards . Marco then stalls the FBI forces tracking Raymond so he can complete the new mission.
What is the Manchurian Candidate about?
The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American neo-noir, psychological political thriller about the Cold War and sleeper agents. The film was directed and produced by John Frankenheimer. The screenplay was written by George Axelrod based on the 1959 Richard Condon novel The Manchurian Candidate.
When was the Manchurian Candidate selected for preservation?
In 1994 , The Manchurian Candidate was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
When was the Manchurian Candidate remake made?
This article is about the original 1962 film. For the 2004 remake, see The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film).
Was the Manchurian Candidate rereleased after the Kennedy assassination?
Michael Schlesinger, who was responsible for the film's 1988 reissue by MGM/UA, has helped debunk the rumor. According to him, the film was not removed, but public interest in it was small immediately before the assassination. The autumn 1962 release had run its course. Box-office successes in the United States immediately before the shootings in Dallas were comedies, notably It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and movie distributors avoided reviving a thriller with a creepy ending that millions of people had seen barely a year earlier. Newspaper display ads indicate that after the assassination, The Manchurian Candidate was not rereleased as frequently or as widely as other movies from 1962, but it was indeed revived and never was banned. The movie played at a Brooklyn cinema two months after the assassination (January 1964), and that same month, in White Plains and Jersey City, New Jersey. The film was subsequently televised nationwide on CBS Thursday Night at the Movies on September 16, 1965.
Who wrote the Manchurian Candidate?
The Manchurian Candidate is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Look up Manchurian candidate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Who is Shaw's new manservant?
Major Marco looks up Sergeant Raymond Shaw and discovers that Shaw's new manservant is someone he recognizes from Korea. Marco and the manservant start fighting in Shaw's house and both are bloodied significantly. Marco is arrested, and when Shaw sees that it is his old major they rekindle their old friendship.
Why does Shaw use the Queen of Diamonds card?
He uses the queen of diamonds card to draw out Eleanor's plan: after she obtains the vice presidential nomination for Iselin, Shaw is to shoot the presidential candidate so that Iselin can succeed him. Blaming the killing on the Communists will enable Iselin to assume dictatorial powers.
Who is Marco's love interest?
Both find love interests: for Marco, it is Rose Cheyney, whom he meets on a train; and for Raymond, it is Jocelyn Jordan, the daughter of Senator Thomas Jordan, a neighbor of Shaw's. Senator Jordan and Shaw's mother do not like each other, but Raymond continues to see Jocelyn.
Was The Manchurian Candidate adapted into a movie?
The book has twice been adapted into a feature film of the same title. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is considered a classic of the political thriller genre. It was directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Laurence Harvey as Shaw, Frank Sinatra as Marco, and Angela Lansbury as Eleanor in an Academy Award -nominated performance.
Overview
The Manchurian Candidate is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy.
The novel has twice been adapted into a feature film with the same title: the first was released in 1962 and the second in 2004.
Plot summary
Major Bennett Marco, Sergeant Raymond Shaw, and the rest of their infantry platoon are captured by an elite Soviet commando unit during the Korean War in 1952. They are taken to Manchuria, and brainwashed into believing Shaw saved their lives in combat – for which Shaw is subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor.
Years after the war, Marco, now back in the United States working as an intelligence officer, begi…
Alleged plagiarism
In 1998, software developer C. J. Silverio noted that several long passages of the novel seemed to be adapted from Robert Graves's 1934 novel I, Claudius. Forensic linguist John Olsson judged that "There can be no disputing that Richard Condon plagiarized from Robert Graves." Olsson went on to state that "As plagiarists go, Condon is quite creative, he does not confine himself to one source and is prepared to throw other ingredients into the pot." Jonathan Lethem, in his influenti…
Film adaptations
The book has twice been adapted into a feature film of the same title. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is considered a classic of the political thriller genre. It was directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Laurence Harvey as Shaw, Frank Sinatra as Marco, and Angela Lansbury as Eleanor in an Academy Award-nominated performance.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) was directed by Jonathan Demme, and starred Liev Schreiber a…
Other adaptations
A stage adaptation by John Lahr opened in London in 1991, and has since played in the United States.
Kevin Puts has adapted the work into an opera. His opera The Manchurian Candidate premiered in March 2015 at the Minnesota Opera. It has been performed by the Austin Opera and at the Seagle Festival in the Adirondacks of New York.
In popular culture
A copy of The Manchurian Candidate is a major plot point in the 1999 novel False Memory (novel) by Dean Koontz.
The novel's title is referenced in the Gravity Falls episode "The Stanchurian Candidate", aired as part of the series' second season.
It is also referenced in the Rick and Morty 's season 3 episode "The Rickchurian Mortydate".
See also
• List of assassinations in fiction
• Conspiracy thriller
• Brainwashing
External links
• Photos of the first edition of The Manchurian Candidate
• Review: The Manchurian Candidate
• The Manchurian Candidate at complete review
• ‘Manchurian Candidate’ in Dallas 28 December 1963, article by Richard Condon in The Nation about the JFK assassination and The Manchurian Candidate