Screen and Scholar: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

This presentation examines John Frankenheimer’s 1962 cold war masterpiece as both a product of its turbulent era and a work of enduring cinematic and cultural significance. From its release during the Cuban Missile Crisis to its mysterious disappearance after the Kennedy assassination, the film’s own history is as dramatic as its story. The presentation explores how Frankenheimer and cinematographer Lionel Lindon crafted one of Hollywood’s most innovative visual languages, including the legendary 360° brainwashing sequence, and traces the film’s long shadow over American political culture, where the phrase “Manchurian Candidate” remains a living part of our political vocabulary.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, November 14
Time: 10:00am-12:59pm
Participants: 180
Location: Discover Auditorium
Instructor: Brandon Bauer
Cost for participants:
Members: $10
General Public: $15
Instructor Bio:
Brandon Bauer is an associate professor of art at St. Norbert College. He uses art as a space for ethical inquiry, exploring issues relating to democracy, nuclear abolition, terrorism, and the climate crisis by examining critical histories embedded in cultural ephemera. His work utilizes photography, video, digital graphics, and installation. Bauer’s work has been exhibited and screened internationally, including at the Aces(s) electronic media festival in Pau, France; the European Media Arts Festival in Osnabruck, Germany; and the Carnival of e-Creativity in Shillong, India. He has published in academic journals such as Media-N, Hz, and Arts & International A