Dramatica Users
Group Movie Analysis:
"The
Manchurian Candidate"
Review by Katharine
E. Monahan Huntley
The
Manchurian Candidate, reputedly John F. Kennedy's favorite movie-suppressed
for twenty-five years after his death-illustrates the maxim "paranoia
will destroy you." Director John Frankenheimer and writer George
Axelrod's " . . . jazzy, hip screen translation of Richard Condon's
bestselling novel works in all departments" (Variety Movie Guide)
and in all four throughlines of a Dramatica grand argument
story.
"Bennett Marco
(main character), a major in Army Intelligence, is troubled (mc
problem-thought) by a recurring 'real swinger of a nightmare' of
the Korean War (mc concern-past) in which he sees Raymond Shaw
(obstacle character), a former comrade, murder two other soldiers.
Marco mentions his worries to supervisors (mc approach-do-er):
'I tell you there's something phony going on (objective story problem-perception).
There's something phony about me, about Raymond Shaw, about the whole
Medal of Honor business.'" (Film Noir) Assuming Marco is suffering
from battle fatigue (mc critical flaw-conditioning), he is put
on indefinite sick leave (mc focus-order)-a situation (mc
domain-universe) he abhors.
"Marco meets
Shaw and learns of Shaw's hatred for his mother and Red-baiting stepfather,
Senator John Iselin, and that another member of their patrol has written
to Shaw complaining of nightmares similar to Marco's. Military superiors
are dubious about the origin of these dreams, since Shaw holds the Congressional
Medal of Honor at Marco's recommendation (subjective story problem-perception);
but they authorize Marco to investigate (ss domain-physics).
He discovers (mc solution-knowledge) that the entire patrol was
brainwashed (os domain-psychology) in Korea." (Film Noir)
The objective story
is one of Cold War political machinations (psychology domain).
The goal is a plan envisioned (conceptualizing) by communists-to
be implemented by trained assassin Raymond Shaw. Shaw has no sense of
who he really is (oc critical flaw-sense of self) and no recollection
(oc concern-memory) of his heinous actions (story driver).
The American operative orders (os focus) Shaw to:
". . . shoot
the presidential nominee through the head. And [Senator] Johnny will
rise gallantly to his feet and lift [the presidential nominee's] body
in his arms-stand in front of the microphones and begin to speak. .
. . rallying a nation of television viewers into hysteria to sweep us
up into the White House with powers that will make martial law seem
like anarchy."
Raymond Shaw is
a victim of mind (oc domain) control-". . . a living
time bomb and programmed murderer (Film Noir)." The American operative
(os benchmark-being) is none other than his mother who tells
him: "I know you will never entirely comprehend this, Raymond,
but you must believe I did not know it would be you. . . . I'm on the
point of winning for them the greatest foothold they will ever have
in this country. How did they pay me back? By taking your soul away
from you. I told them to build me an assassin. I wanted a killer from
a world filled with killers and they chose you. Because they thought
it would bind me closer to them (os thematic conflict-situation vs.
circumstances)."
Marco understands
(ss concern) Shaw runs on automatic pilot and endeavors (ss
domain-physics) to deprogram him (ss benchmark-doing). What
Shaw does not recall (oc concern-memory) defines him-what he
becomes conscious of (oc signpost 4) will ultimately humanize
him.
In a moment of lucidity,
Shaw "tries to fight hypnosis (oc resolve-change) when he
is instructed (os focus-order) to assassinate the presidential
nominee of Iselin's party. Marco attempts to stop him (mc unique
ability-interdiction); but Shaw turns the gun on Senator Iselin,
his mother, and finally on himself (outcome-failure) (Film Noir)."
Marco understands
(os consequence) Shaw's final act as an ironic truth-the tragic
figure thwarts an ideological shift (os signpost 4-conceiving)
and earns the Congressional Medal of Honor. Marco bitterly (mc judgment-bad)
recites a personal citation: "Raymond Shaw . . . in the end heroically
and unhesitatingly gave his life to save his country."
Sources Cited:
Film Noir: An
Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style. Eds. Alain Silver
and Elizabeth Ward. 3rd ed. New York: Overlook, 1980.
Variety Movie
Guide. Ed. Derek Elley, 1992.
THE
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE story engine settings.
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