The Manchurian Candidate ending explained (spoilers)

[Faisal Zahid]

Raymond Shaw, the Medal of honor decorated Platoon captain, was actually brainwashed, and is forced to obey the first command he is ordered every time he watches the Queen Of Diamonds card. It was the order of his mother, Mrs. Iselin (Angela Lansbury), who wishes to make America a communist country by making her husband the president and by killing everyone in their path, using Raymond. Major Marco (Frank Sinatra) finds out about it and uses the queen of Diamonds on Raymond so that he will find out what is Iselin's Plan. Their plan, as told by Raymond, is to kill the opposite candidate while speaking certain words on his speech. Marco talks Raymond out of it by commanding him with 52 Queens of Diamond, and by that releasing him from his brainwash. However, when Mrs. Iselin orders Raymond to kill the candidate, he obeys! While aiming the sniper rifle on the candidates, Marco feels that something is wrong when he suddenly sees Raymond's sniper rifle out of the window, but is unable to reach him before the shots are fired - On Mrs. Iselin and her husband. Raymond explains the Marco that he wasn't brainwashed and this was the only way to stop His mother's Evil plan. Raymond turns the gun on himself and commits suicide. Marco and his wife mourn Raymond's death after the event.

[jim]

Unlike the original, this remake has nothing to do with cards. Maj. Bennett Marco (Washington) slowly visualizes events in Kuwait which lead him to believe that he and he was platoon were brainwashed into believing Raymond Shaw (Schreiber) had saved them in combat. Raymond was brainwashed into killing Sen. Jordan (Voight). Eleanor Shaw (Streep) has the power to brainwash the men as well, and she brainwashes Marco into assassinating President Arthur so that Raymond can be the next president. During the convention, Marco gets prepared to snipe Arthur, but Raymond, who is also brainwashed, overcomes the spell and lures himself and Eleanor into Marcos sight. Marco kills both of them with one bullet. Rosie (Elise) who turns out to be a Federal Agent, stops Marco from killing himself by shooting him in the shoulder. Marco goes back to the island where Atticus Noyle (McBurney) brainwashed the men. He places a photo of the platoon and the Medal of Honor in the water.