The Manchurian Candidate

The Making Of is The Enemy Within, a documentary that explores the production of The Manchurian Candidate from when Frank Sinatra acquired the rights to the original film to the meaning of imagery in certain scenes. There are fleeting interviews with the cast, but it is co-writer Daniel Pyne who dominates, taking us through the hidden depths of the remake. He seems a little smug, but delivers genuine insight into the meaning of why the scenes are set where they are and how the characters were developed from what they were in the original. However, there is no information provided about the film's sound, or anything other than photography, and the 15-minute length is disappointingly short. Nonetheless, there is much of interest and value here.

The casting documentary contains the typical ego massaging that is so crucial in DVD extras, but the intellectual nature of the first documentary is continued here, with a mature look at the acting process of the three main players. What serves as a complimentary addition are the two outtakes, featured on the second page of extras, which cinsist of short interview segments with Meryl Streep in character. Her skill is highlighted by the realist aesthetic created by director Jonathan Demme, as well as in the optional commentary, which offers an amusing on-set anecdote that, for a change, the audience can laugh along with as it all unfolds on screen.

The deleted scenes are in keeping with the quality and intensity of the film, all of which seem like they could have contributed quite nicely to the mood of the proceedings. However, the optional director's commentary explains why each was removed, albeit in a dull tone of voice, which crippled this audience member's attention span. The same numbingly boring approach is taken in the film commentary.

The Liev Schreiber screen test thinks that it is offering an intimate look inside the acting process of the film's only non-Oscar nominated actor. It is, in fact, an extended take from a scene in the film. The intrusive close up used throughout will not fool you into believing that Schreiber is a phenomenal actor, although he does a good enough job. The real gem is listening to Streep chew a juicy piece of steak - very realistic and something I think would have made an appropriate addition to the final cut.

Political Pundits features a collection of one-on-one exchanges between C-list celebrities, who have clear-cut, if ill informed, impressions of the political world. This extra is relevant to the central theme of the film, which does not disguise the fact that it is poorly produced and a brutal trial on the senses of an inquisitive mind.

The extras aim to present an intelligent package of material. The acting process is investigated quite thoroughly, but the documentaries lack depth. The political element is left unexplored, the efforts of a few writers and actors not enough to satisfy the need for more information. The quantity is extensive, but the quality left lacking in several areas. The disc is personified by Demme's commentary, which is informative yet, at the same time, quite simply, boring.