The Manchurian Candidate

A black and white photograph featuring multiple individuals seated in a row. Standing behind the seated individuals is another figure, also with their face obscured, positioned next to a table with what appears to be a microphone on it. The background inc

Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers is captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon is returned home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco, finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and soon races to uncover a terrible plot.

Angela Lansbury was nominated for an Academy Award for her depiction of a ruthless, voraciously right-wing mother bent on forcing her son to murder a young liberal president. When a year after the film's release President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, actor Frank Sinatra used his formidable influence to bury this film for nearly 25 years. Nevertheless, The Manchurian Candidate — directed by John Frankenheimer — remains one on the most celebrated political dramas of all time.

The Manchurian Candidate screens as part of our "Cornell Cinema Goes to Washington" series. Courtesy of MGM Pictures and Swank Motion Pictures.