Shocking, daring, thrilling and mesmerizing, The Manchurian Candidate is a mindblower! Directed by the legendary John Frankenheimer (Seven Days in May, The Train, Seconds, Ronin) and featuring an all-star cast, including Angela Lansbury (The Mirror Crack’d) in an Oscar-nominated performance (Best Supporting Actress, 1962), this eerily prescient masterpiece “may be the most sophisticated political satire ever made” (Pauline Kael). When a platoon of Korean War G.I.s is captured, they somehow end up at a ladies’ garden club party. Or do they? Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra, Von Ryan’s Express) can’t remember. As he searches for the answer, he discovers threads of a diabolical plot orchestrated by the utterly ruthless Mrs. Iselin (Lansbury) and involving her war hero son (Laurence Harvey, A Dandy in Aspic), her senator husband (James Gregory, The Silencers) and a secret cabal of enemy leaders. Janet Leigh (Touch of Evil) and Henry Silva (Code of Silence) also play pivotal parts in “one of the best and brightest of modern American films” (Roger Ebert).

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Video Quality

The Manchurian Candidate appears on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in 1.85:1 courtesy of a stellar 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in 2160p/Dolby Vision that brings new life to this classic film. The Criterion Collection previously released this film on Blu-Ray in 2016 with a 4K scan of the OCN in a 1.75:1 aspect ratio, which has always been a great disc. This new presentation is more of a refinement rather than a monumental difference, but it allows this film to look like the best version of itself. The output of the 4K UHD release from Kino Classics continues to be top shelf.

The black and white cinematography captured by Lionel Lindon has never looked better with steady gradients and subtle textures showcased in the backgrounds. This is thanks in part to how the transfer maintains the filmic quality of the picture with natural film grain resolving admirably. The grain looks compact and natural with nothing veering into noise or compression artifacts. The Dolby Vision allows the black levels to be deep without any intrusions such as crush or banding. Highlights are likewise firm with no clipping on display. The costumes and production design exhibit a striking amount of textural detail. Nearly every shot presents with some tremendous depth to the image. The transfer does not exhibit any specks or print damage. Kino Classics has delivered a first rate transfer here.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 2.0 (default) and 5.1 Master Audio track that handles this narrative well. From the opening moments of the score, the music does not exhibit any major instances of distortion or signs of age. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with only stray moments of sibilance. This is balanced well with the background noises so everything works together in harmony. The environmental effects are adept at allowing this world to feel bustling and alive. Age related wear and tear such as hissing and crackles do not serve as a primary issue. Kino Classics has done a pretty solid job with the audio portion of the disc. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director John Frankenheimer provides a deeply engaging commentary track in which he discusses how this film came together, the coup of landing Frank Sinatra for the picture, the need to shoot certain scenes day-for-night, the scenes that needed to be changed to help out confused test audiences, the shooting locations and more.

The Manchurian Candidate Interviews with Star Frank Sinatra, Director John Frankenheimer and Screenwriter George Axelrod: An eight-minute reunion from 1988 in which these three creative figures come together to reminisce on the production of the film, the performances and characters arcs, working around the limitations on violence and more.

Queen of Diamonds – Interview with Actress Angela Lansbury: A 15-minute interview with the legendary actress in which she recalls how she became involved with the project, her feelings about playing such a morally dubious character, working with John Frankenheimer, memories of her co-stars and more.

How To Get Shot – Outtake: A minute-long continuation of the conversation with Lansbury discussing a moment from the film.

A Little Solitaire – Interview with Filmmaker William Friedkin: A 13-minute conversation with Oscar winning director William Friedkin who discusses the importance of John Frankenheimer, the documentary style he brought to his work, the mastery of The Manchurian Candidate, the acting philosophy of Frank Sinatra, how Janet Leigh elevates her underwritten role and more.

Phone Call – Outtake: A 26-second amusing outtake from the William Friedkin interview.

Trailers: The two-minute trailer is provided for The Manchurian Candidate. There are also trailers provided for The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Train, The Holcroft Covenant, 52 Pick-Up, Ronin, Room At The Top and Touch Of Evil.

Final Thoughts

The Manchurian Candidate is a classic of the paranoid thriller genre. Those who have only seen the remake are nowhere close to aware of the power this one wields with its careful plotting, tense editing and performances that will not leave your mind anytime soon after viewing them. The film has only added to its prescient quality over the decades, and it feels just as impactful as the day it was released. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a nice assortment of archival special features. This is a must for any fan of classic cinema. Essential

The Manchurian Candidate is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.