A
parallel has in the past been drawn between ‘It’s Your Funeral’ and ‘The
Manchurian Candidate’ {1962} which is based upon the novel by Richard Condon in
which a unit of American Marines fighting in the Korean war are captured by the
Chinese and taken to Manchuria. Each Soldier is drugged, hypnotised and
conditioned. One man, Raymond Shaw is especially susceptible to this form of
hypnotic conditioning and suggestion. He is conditioned to be a killer, an
assassin, then once released by the Chinese, together with the rest of his unit,
Raymond Shaw is returned a hero to America. To activate Marco into
assassinating Senator Thomas Jordon, a deck of cards is used, and one card in
particular activates Raymond Shaw.….. the Queen of Diamonds.
The parallel drawn between ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Its Your Funeral’ is
how the watchmaker-number 50 is indoctrinated by Number 100 in carrying out the
assassination of the retiring Number 2. By doing so will wake the citizens
out of their lethargy and make them angry enough to fight. As with the conditioning
of Raymond Shaw, in becoming an assassin to assassinate senator Thomas Jordon.
Well I suppose that
there is something of a tenuous parallel which can be drawn between the two,
yet remember when considering this, that there is a very distinct difference
between the two, Raymond Shaw in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ was drugged,
hypnotised and conditioned to react to a certain card ‘the Queen of Diamonds’. Where as in ‘It’s
Your Funeral,’ the watchmaker-Number -50 knew exactly what
he was doing. There were no drugs or hypnotic suggestion used, the watchmaker
was openly conscious to Number 100’s indoctrination and persuasion and
remained so, openly believing that what he was about to do. That assassinating
the retiring Number 2, was for the good of the citizens, or so he believed.
Be seeing you
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