The Quiet American
(2002)
political thriller
directed
by : Philip Noyce
featuring
: Michael Caine - Brendan Fraser - Do Hai Yen - Rade Serbedzija
running
time : 1 hour 41 minutes
Graham Greene's allegorical novel about
America's role in the Vietnam conflict, and how it was perceived by the
rest of the world, is brought to the screen for the second time in this
adaptation directed by Philip Noyce. Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is a
British journalist who in 1952 is covering the early stages of the war
in Indo-China for the London Times, not a demanding assignment since few
in England are especially interested in the conflict. When not filing occasional
reports, Fowler spends his time with Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a beautiful
woman who shares lovemaking and opium with Fowler and is willing to accept
the fact the married journalist will never make her his wife. Fowler becomes
friendly with Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a cheerful and articulate if
seemingly naïve American who is in Saigon as part of a medical mission.
As Fowler and Pyle develop a closer friendship, Pyle is introduced to Phuong,
and the American soon becomes infatuated with her. When Fowler's editors
suggest he return to London, he responds by digging himself deeper in covering
the war, and Pyle attempts to take Phuong away; she soon rejects him. Undaunted,
Pyle continues with his work, but Fowler discovers that medical help is
not what the American is bringing to Vietnam. Pyle is in fact a CIA operative
who is helping to organize and finance a "Third Force" who will battle
Ho Chi Min's forces as well as the French and their allies. Fowler also
learns that Pyle is behind a series of bombings which are believed to have
been carried out by Communist extremists, and faces the ugly fact that
his American friend is in fact a terrorist killing in the name of Uncle
Sam's political interests. While completed in the fall of 2001, The Quiet
American went unreleased until late 2002; after the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, the film's producers felt the film's critical view
of America's role in the Vietnam war might be considered especially offensive.
The Quiet American could be considered
both a murder mystery and a political thriller. But its main emphasis isn't
on clever plot twists or nail-biting suspense, although it does offer danger
and intrigue. Instead, this deliberately paced and intelligently scripted
film places its main emphasis on how the personal and the political intersect
in the lives of the main characters. Caine gives a nuanced, affecting performance
in the lead role as world-weary British journalist Thomas Fowler. Caine
is very effective at conveying how Fowler is torn between his cynicism
and his nobler values as he struggles with difficult decisions and motives
that aren't always pure. Fraser does a generally good job with his role
as the American Alden Pyle; his measured performance could be more layered,
but he does manage to suggest that there is more to this character than
immediately meets the eye. Unfortunately, the film loses some of its emotional
impact because the friendship between Fowler and Pyle doesn't seem quite
as intense as the story demands. This problem is exacerbated by Yen's inability
to do much with her underwritten role as Phuong, the woman in the middle
of the love triangle; often she seems less like a full-fledged character
than a depersonalized object of affection and symbol of Vietnam. Indeed,
Pham Thi Mai Hoa makes a stronger impression than Yen in a smaller role
as Phuong's sister. Nonetheless, the sumptuous cinematography and Caine's
impressive performance are riveting enough to carry the film through its
occasional rough spots.