During the Cold War (1945-1991), the United States and the Soviet Union competed because they both wanted to emerge as the dominant world superpower. Rather than directly fighting each other, the countries demonstrated their rivalry in more roundabout ways. This tension between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. eventually affected society at large: American media spewed out anti-communist propaganda in order to create an unwavering bias against the Soviet Union and communism. By emphasizing the artificiality of media through various filming techniques and Mrs. Iselin’s publicity stunts, The Manchurian Candidate (1962) critiques how the media skewed people’s opinions during the Cold War.
This scene from The Manchurian Candidate demonstrates how anti-communist sentiment shaped individuals’ behavior during the Cold War. The scene begins with pan shot of the set and filming equipment, drawing attention to how media portrayals are unauthentic and highly polished. Rather than presenting the public with objective accounts of events, the media tends to be biased in what they represent and how they represent it. In addition to that, Senator John Iselin’s accusations about communists working in the United States government are always viewed from the television screen, as opposed to showing his rant head-on. This strongly parallels with how American media utilized anti-communist propaganda during the Cold War to convince citizens that communism was a tangible threat. The Senator claims:
I have here a list of the names of two hundred and seven persons who are known by the Secretary of Defense as being members of the Communist Party who are still nevertheless working in and shaping the policy of the Defense Department!
The threat of communists infiltrating the American government immediately piques everyone’s interest and incites their anger. The crowd does not dismiss Senator Iselin’s claims as preposterous because, through media, they have been conditioned to live in a constant state of anxiety over the communist threat. This depiction of how merely mentioning communism sparks the audience’s anger demonstrates just how much the media has distorted people’s perception of this foreign ideology.
The aforementioned details of the scene enable the viewer to draw a connection between the fallibility of media and Mrs. Iselin’s tendency to exploit publicity for personal gain; this strung-out situation criticizes how many powerful individuals have too much influence over individuals’ thoughts through the media. Senator Iselin is shown speaking on the television as his wife nods in approval. The juxtaposition of the Senator and his wife during the speech alludes to how Mrs. Iselin had explained the plan to her husband beforehand. Furthermore, in this shot, Mrs. Iselin is situated above the television screen the Senator is displayed on; this positioning likens Mrs. Iselin to a distant, omnipotent force watching from above as her plan unfolds. Although she does not hold any political power herself, she manipulates the media through the actions of her husband, which, in turn, affect public opinion. Ms. Iselin represents the sly masterminds who manipulated the media during the Cold War.
The Manchurian Candidate warns its contemporary Cold War audience of the extent to which the media impacts their view of communism. This is significant because the media often influence our thoughts subconsciously; as a result, without knowing what to look for, the media can potentially influence our thoughts without our full awareness. Being wary of the messages the media presents to us and the perspective from which they are told prevents us from adopting xenophobic ideas, such as the anti-communist attitude that was prevalent during the Cold War.
Humanization through Empathy 