# Manchurian Candidate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541 "2004-07-11T06:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/1 "2004-07-11T06:39:24Z")
I remember seeing the trailer for this movie and wondered, what exactly does ‘Manchurian’ mean and/or signify??? (If anything at all?) -Mith ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/2 "2004-07-11T06:52:15Z")
It depends. In the book and original movie, a soldier in the Korean War is brainwashed by the Chinese to become an assassin for them, as part of a plot to secretly control the US government. Manchuria is part of China. in the new movie, apparently: A Gulf War soldier is brainwashed to be under the control of a multinational corporation, called Manchurian Industries or something, as part of a plot to secretly control the US government. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/3 "2004-07-11T06:56:14Z")
Manchuria is a region in central Asis, now a part of China. IIRC, the American soldiers in the movie were taken there before being returned. See this movie! ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/4 "2004-07-11T07:08:08Z")
That’s ‘Asia’ of course. And I had successfully blocked the remake from my mind. Don’t see _that_ movie, see [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056218/) one! In a thread about Cold War movies, the original poster watched it and came back with a review that started “Wow. Just wow.” He was right. ---
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/5 "2004-07-11T13:46:43Z")
awesome, thanks for the clearup 😃 -Mith ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/6 "2004-07-11T17:15:45Z")
**rjk** The original “Manchurian Candidate” is tremendous !!! Seems it is ranked as film #67 in the IMDB Top 250. Superlative acting performances by everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/7 "2004-07-11T17:56:12Z")
This really looks like it is going to be a bad movie. It looks like it is going to be another politicaly heavy-handed flick from Denzel Washington. I would have hopeed that he would have learned his lesson from _John Q_. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/8 "2004-07-11T17:58:51Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > **rjk** > The original “Manchurian Candidate” is tremendous !!! > Seems it is ranked as film #67 in the IMDB Top 250. > Superlative acting performances by everyone. I still can’t look at a hydrangea without a little chill up my spine. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/9 "2004-07-11T18:18:48Z")
Why don’t you play a game of solitaire? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/10 "2004-07-11T18:44:49Z")
Two comments. First, in this version, does he play solitaire on his PC? Secondly, from the trailer, it looked like they are portraying Denzel Washington’s character (the same as the Frank Sinatra character in the original film) as apparently mentally unbalanced. That’s quite a change from the original film, where the army had no problem believing Major Marco’s story, but perhaps more realistic, given the lack of supporting evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/11 "2004-07-11T19:13:47Z")
is the original movie readily available to rent at most of video stores (Keepin’ in mind that I am from a small town outside of Toronto, Canada :P) You guys make it sound interesting, so I wouldnt mind renting it (assuming once again, that it is available) ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/12 "2004-07-11T20:10:27Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > Why don’t you play a game of solitaire? Crap. _I_was gonna say that. Would’ve happened sooner or later I guess. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/13 "2004-07-11T20:41:04Z")
Yes, I am playing a game of solitaire… hey there’s the Queen of Diamonds … _Manchurian Candidate is the kindest warmest bravest film I have ever known_ huh … must have dozed off for a second there. * * * **Muad’Dib** Would you include “Pelican Brief” in that same heavy-handed Denzel Washington style? I would. (Although it might also be considered a Julia Roberts film). Although “Pelican Brief” was somewhat interesting, I found it weird that 2 US Supreme Court Justices get assassinated within a week and NO ONE except a college law professor and his student try to find a connection??? That is a bit much !! * * * **rjk** Besides having tainted your mind about the hydrangea, do you think the movie has skewed your perception of Angela Lansbury? When watching “Murder She Wrote” think of her as Mrs Iselen … spooky huh? ---
**Author:** ![Kaotic\_Newtral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@Kaotic\_Newtral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaotic_Newtral)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/14 "2004-07-11T23:44:21Z")
The original Manchurian Candidate is one of my favorite movies. I saw the previews for the new one and decided that it’s one I wouldn’t ‘ever’ be seeing. BTW, I’ve owned the dvd of the original movie since it came out and I have a question. Is it just my experience or do women detest this movie? ‘Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Cool Hand Luke’ are two movies that I’ve never found a woman that would sit and watch them. It’s not like they’re extremely ‘masculine’ movies either. /sorry for the slight hijack -K ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/15 "2004-07-12T00:14:52Z")
> [@Kaotic Newtral](#): > > Is it just my experience or do women detest this movie? ‘Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Cool Hand Luke’ are two movies that I’ve never found a woman that would sit and watch them. You’re hanging out with the wrong women. I enjoyed both of those movies. I may rent the new version of The Manchurian Candidate at some point, but I don’t see how it will come close to the original. Some movies should just _not_ be remade, and that’s one of them. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/16 "2004-07-12T01:12:45Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > Why don’t you play a game of solitaire? Dammit, **FG**! That post scared me! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/17 "2004-07-12T02:16:28Z")
**Kaotic Newtral** Well, maybe I have some unresolved psychological issues. I’m a guy and think that the “The Manchurian Canddidate” is one of the greatest movies of all time and have seen it countless times. As for “Cool Hand Luke”? I have never seen the movie and from what I know about it, probably never will. Of course, being a lifelong resident of Boston may have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/18 "2004-07-12T02:24:06Z")
One trivia note: The original “Manchurian Candidate” featured a significant role by Khigh Dhiegh, who would become best-known as the villainous “Wo Fat” in the “Hawaii Five-O” series. Despite his having no Oriental heritage (born Kenneth Dickerson in New Jersey), he excellently portrayed various Yellow Peril types for over two decades. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/19 "2004-07-12T02:24:21Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > See this movie! Better yet, go out and see the original version, with Angela Lansbury. Then you can go see this version, and see if it compares. The original was incredible. I just saw the previews for the Denzel version the other night, and it looked pretty good, too. I’ll be going to go see it. I’m female, by the way, so I guess I’m skewing your stats, **Kaotic Newtral**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541/20 "2004-07-12T03:43:07Z")
> [@Kaotic Newtral](#): > > BTW, I’ve owned the dvd of the original movie since it came out and I have a question. Is it just my experience or do women detest this movie? ‘Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Cool Hand Luke’ are two movies that I’ve never found a woman that would sit and watch them. It’s not like they’re extremely ‘masculine’ movies either. Count another chick who loves both those movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/254541.md?page=2)