The citations at the end?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Manchurian Candidate
novastar_6 — 14 years ago(December 20, 2011 02:57 PM)
I don't get what Marco was talking about when he said "You should read some of the citations sometime. Just read them. Taken, eight prisoners, killing four enemy in the process while one leg and one arm was shattered and he could only crawl because the other leg had been blown off - Edwards. Wounded five times, dragged himself across the direct fire of three enemy machine guns to pull two of his wounded men to safety amid sixty-nine dead and two hundred and three casualties - Holderman." What was all that supposed to mean? That these were what really supposed to get the Medal of Honor instead of Raymond or what?
-
johnston.scot — 14 years ago(December 22, 2011 12:34 PM)
The point is in the last bit, where he described what Raymond
actually
did at the end of the movie. He's saying that Raymond really was heroic by comparing what he did to the perhaps more obviously heroic deeds of others.
This is particularly pointed, because Marco is the only one who knows about the actual heroism that was (he's saying) of the caliber that warrants a medal of honor, and he is
also
the one who attested to the fake heroism that got him a bogus medal of honor in Korea. -
shoolaroon — 12 years ago(July 18, 2013 11:30 PM)
I think the point is that those men cited were brave by obvious public standards, whereas the public would never know of Raymond's internal struggle for his soul and the things he was forced to do under their influence, and to escape from it. Ben is saying that Raymond is just as heroic, but no one will ever know about the poor guy. He feels deep pity and sadness for as he calls him, friendless Raymond.
-
melnar1 — 9 years ago(July 13, 2016 11:57 AM)
What was all that supposed to mean? That these were what really supposed to get the Medal of Honor instead of Raymond or what?
Remember that Shaw had already received "the nation's highest honor". From the script, towards the beginning of the film:
A private plane owned by Senator Iselin sits on an airfield. Raymond, Mrs. Iselin and the senator, having just come from the White House, emerge from a nearby helicopter and slowly cross to the plane. As they do, the deep-voiced narrator fills us in on some details.
NARRATOR (v.o.)
On the afternoon of his arrival in
Washington, Raymond Shaw was
decorated at the White House by the
President of the United States. His
citation attested to by his
commanding officer, Captain Bennet
Marco and the nine surviving members
of his patrol read in part:
"Displaying valor above and beyond
the call of duty, did single-handedly
save the lives of nine members of
his patrol, capturing an enemy
machine gun nest, and taking out in
the process, a full company of enemy
infantry. He then proceeded to lead
his patrol, which had been listed as
Missing in Action for three days,
back through the enemy lines to
safety."
At the end of the film, Marco was reading out citations of other men who had at various other times received the Congressional Medal Of Honor - not instead of, but as well as Raymond Shaw.