Comparing the 1962 Version of The Manchurian Candidate with the 2004 version - Essay Example

? 08 July Comparing the 1962 Version of The Manchurian Candi with the 2004 version Introduction The movie-making industry is inseparable from the political and historical conditions, in which it operates. Even fantastic movies and horrors cannot escape the dramatic influence of historical and political realities. The Manchurian Candidate was first created in 1962. Featuring Frank Sinatra, the movie was a compound product of multiple historical, social, and technical influences. The fear of Communism, the rapid spread of McCarthyism, and the Cold War altogether contributed to the development of a sophisticated vision of war, which, taking place thousands of miles from the American continent, profoundly alters the American political landscape. In 2004, at the age of information technologies, social revolutions, and political liberalism, The Manchurian Candidate again reflects today’s political and social realities: the fear of Communism gives way to the fear of corporate domination, women become senators, and the Internet is used as the main brainwashing mechanism and the principal source of human-technology controversies, plaguing the global society. The differences between two versions of the film “The Manchurian Candidate” can be classified in the following way: these are social, technological and political differences. On the social background, an evolutionary nature of a social role a woman plays in the society is evident. At first, in the version of 1962 year, the main character was a manipulative woman, but there was no essential political influence of this heroine. In the version of 2004 year, this character becomes a Senator. Therefore, it is clearly seen that social factor has contributed greatly to the social accents set in the new version of the film. Moreover, there is a lack of sensual transfer of intimate relations between the main characters. Thus, for example, Lansbury’s character kissing Shaw inspires the audience and creates a romantic atmosphere. In the modern version there is no such kind of a romantic aura between the characters. Political Differences-The concept of “fear” is integrative for both films. Two great powerful machines that are consuming contemporaries are presented with the same powerful manner: in the first version of the film there is an atmosphere of fear in the face of communism and in the second film the characters are afraid of being absorbed by a powerful corporate machine. Therefore, it is evident that historical events and periods of films’ creation influenced the main conceptual framework of both film versions. The influential and powerful factor of fear in the face of communism (in 1962 version) was substituted by another fear factor in the version of 2004. Another political factor that is rather controversial in the modern version is the way assassination is represented. A great emphasis is made on a “programmed nature” of assassinator’s mind. At this point we can see an intricate interconnection between political and technological factors. This interpretation of assassination is justified in the modern version as it is strongly backed up by the modern technological developments. Moreover, another explanation is provided. The matter of natural/unnatural changes of human behavior is explained in terms of technological advancements or as a result of mental disorders. This director’s intention can be interpreted in the following way: whether modern technologies are able to re-program human mind or not, the latter would be either way perverted by his own psycho. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is probably one of the brightest and memorable products of the American moviemaking industry. Featuring Frank Sinatra, The Manchurian Candidate is a movie, where “the stepson of a presidential candidate turns out to have been a prisoner of war who underwent interrogation at the hands of Chinese communists” (Delgado 23). The soldier is brainwashed and programmed to assassin a Presidential Candidate. Like in many fictional movies, the planned assassination does not take place, as the brainwashed soldier is released from the hypnotic spells. In 2004, the remake of The Manchurian Candidate is released, with Denzel Washington playing Sinatra’s role of Bennett Marco. It goes without saying that the action of the first movie takes place in the provocative 50s, when the fear of communism was the main feature of political development in America. Remember, when, after the White House ceremony Raymond Shaw chooses to visit Holborn Gaines in New York, instead of going home with his parents, his arrogant and ice-cold mother exclaims “A Communist!” (The Manchurian Candidate 1962). At that time, being called a Communist was one of the gravest offenses; simultaneously, the word “Communist” carried a bunch of extremely negative connotations and feelings, including despise, loathing, animosity, and anger bordering on repulsion. The fear of Communism is simply enormous, which cannot be said about the new version of the movie. In The Manchurian Candidate of 2004, the fear of Communism gives place to the fear of corporate power, which has already become a definitive feature of the globalized reality. Times have changed. The Cold War ended, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the fear of Communism disappeared. However, like almost fifty years ago, corporate bodies exemplify a new type of human mind control, which denies human feelings and implants new standards of living (Stein). Changes in politics are usually followed by changes in societal functioning. The two movies reveal a dramatic difference in how various social variables affect people in America. Most of these differences are obscured from the public eye and become visible only after watching both movies. Furthermore, it is the newest version of The Manchurian Candidate that helps to delineate these differences. Several social changes are notable. First, Denzel Washington playing the role of Frank Sinatra in 1962 is an African American. An African American actor playing the central role in one of the most popular movies of 2004 indicates the rise of the civil rights consciousness. Certainly, Washington has sufficient skills and talent to cope with the role of the level equal or even higher than that in The Manchurian Candidate 2004. Nonetheless, his presence among the cast suggests that America has become more flexible in its attitudes toward Black people. Despite numerous civil rights controversies, gone are the times when being an African American was similar to being leprous. Serious shifts in relations among races are followed by changes in relations between genders. A woman-senator in 1962 looks more like a character of a Greek myth rather than an object of a newspaper report. By contrast, everything is possible in 2004: gender stereotypes no longer manipulate their actions and memories (Stein). Surprisingly or not, some researchers believe that women are more inclined to promote honest governments; consequentially, the greater the number of women in government the lower the level of corruption (Dollar, Fishman & Gatti 1). Whether or not it is true the modern version of The Manchurian Candidate does not tell. Rather, it shows how technologies influence human realities and their attitudes to these realities. The last decade was marked with the rapid advances in technology. The Internet no longer surprises anyone. Hypnotic spells and brainwashing in The Manchurian Candidate of 1962 look extremely outdated. They act like the irony of the non-technological 1960s, which differ dramatically from the current state of technologies. Yet, there is nothing good in abundance, and excessive reliance on technologies has far-reaching implications for the societal development. Contemporary societies do not notice how profoundly technologies alter their mind and mentality. Technologies have proved to be an extremely beneficial instrument of human interactions, but that the Internet and computer technologies are used for brainwashing implies that not everything is good in the technological field. Less technological, The Manchurian Candidate of 1962 is also more humane. It is bright and fascinating, sometimes frightening and sometimes ironic. The Manchurian Candidate of 2004 washes the society’s brain like technologies (namely, a micro-chip implant) washes the brain of the future-to-be assassinator. The first Manchurian Candidate was created in 1962; much has changed since then. The speed of technological evolution is so fast, that even the remake of 2004 already looks obsolete. The two movies do not merely reveal the changes in the political, social, and technological functioning in the American society but also suggest that not all changes are inherently good. Technologies resemble a double-edged sword: whether it benefits or damages the society will depend upon the way it is used by humans. Conclusion The movie-making industry is inseparable from the political and historical conditions, in which it operates. The Manchurian Candidate again reflects today’s political and social realities. In The Manchurian Candidate of 2004, the fear of Communism gives place to the fear of corporate power. The movies reveal a dramatic difference in how various social variables affect people in America. Technologies act like a double-edged sword. Whether or not these changes benefit the society will depend on how they are used by humans. Works Cited Delgado, Richard. “Rodrigo’s Roundelay: Hernandez v. Texas and the Interest-Convergence Dilemma.” Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review, 41(2006): 23-66. Print. Dollar, David, Raymond Fishman & Roberta Gatti. “Are Women Really the ‘Fairer’ Sex? Corruption and Women in Government.” The World Bank, 1999. Web. 08 July 2011. Stein, Rob. “Is Every Memory Worth Keeping?” The Washington Post, 19 October 2004. Web. 08 July 2011. The Manchurian Candidate. Dir. John Frankenheimer. Perf. Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh. M.C. Productions, 1962. Film. The Manchurian Candidate. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep. Paramount, 2004. Film. Read More