In a shift towards complete paranoia, binary narrative prevalent in previously viewed class films is dropped as the nuclear family turns on itself. This film marks a transition into the 60s where social movements began to questions to the demonology seen in 1950s film. Manchurian Candidate has fear without a side to trust. Brainwashing, political assassination, and conspiracy are at the forefront of this film, all at the hands of an over bearing mother.
The representations of women in this film were striking. For obvious reasons, Angela Lansbury’s character, Mrs. Iselin, is a striking reflection of early 60s ideology. As the reading discusses there is an interesting dynamic between men and woman, husband and wife at the time this film was made. Men felt dependant on women for their freedom as women attended to men domestically and sexually. In return, women gave up their identity as they assumed the role of housewife and were given “substantial indirect power” in the home. As female reform movements gained attention, opponents pushed for women to return back to the home, fearing the transition of mother to emasculating force. Angela Lansbury’s character illustrated this fear on a grand scale, going as far as portraying a conspiracy that the far right is controlled by the Russians.
Mom is clearly the demon in this film, plotting assassinations and mind control. But I found Leslie Parrish’s character, Jocelyn Jordan, equally as perplexing. She is really the only major female character in this film yet her role is more or less obsolete and certainly passive. Most of her presence in the film is through memory, giving her much less importance than Angela Lansbury’s character for instance who is affecting the action in the present narrative. The memory of her helping Raymond Shaw when he gets bite by a snake could have been a very romantic tender moment; instead she can’t stop rambling about her father. She sits on the arm of her father’s chair in her bathing suit as they speak with Raymond, showing the ideal of a women’s sexually controlled by her father then by her husband. She could have been a progressive character, with her knowledge of cleaning snake bits and pants apparel but she is still held back by 50s womanhood ideals. I thought this was visually obvious in the scene when Jocelyn and Raymond are watching Raymond’s father convict Joceyln’s father of high treason on television and her face is completely blocked out by his shadow, concealing any reaction from her face. She is present yet passive, and therefore attractive and desirable. I found it particularly interesting how in a strange turn of events, Raymond kills Jocelyn, preventing her from ever becoming the emasculating force his mother was.
What do these parallel representations of womanhood represent? How do you see these representations and the shift in the demonizing of the “other” changing as we move from the 50s and into the 60s?
(6 minutes 40 seconds into this section of the film you can see the scene I mentioned)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaT91QZ2DCk&feature=related
