The Quiet American

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Lanfranco C Vietnam: How all Began. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/12/24 Full Review Matthew B I often believe that first thoughts are better. Remakes and new adaptations of stories that have already been made into a film once are often inferior to the earliest versions. Another such exception is Phillip Noyce's 2002 movie, The Quiet American. Graham Greene's moving book had already been made into a film in 1958 by Joseph L Manckiewicz, but this early version must be accounted a failure. Fast forward to the 2000s, and we can see that Greene's tale was ready for a more faithful reworking. With the American failure in Vietnam, it was less easy to subvert a story that seemed to anticipate their defeat, and there was more humbleness about America's intervention in other countries. Thank goodness that this time there was no attempt to soften or subvert the message of the original book. When The Quiet American finally emerged, it was true to the spirit of Greene's novel, and did not flinch from showing American interventionism in a bad light. Phillip Noyce brings few fireworks to the movie. His direction is subtle and almost invisible, although the film does make certain elements more explicit and obvious than they were in the book. The movie was filmed in Vietnam, and Noyce takes full advantage of the setting to produce the colourfulness of the country. Many scenes in the film are beautiful to look at. When I think of The Quiet American I think of the night-time scenes that take place outside, with lights shining softly on the water. I suppose you could accuse Noyce of exoticism. I am sometimes struck by the contrast between films set in Oriental countries that are made by westerners, and those that are made by people who are native to the area. There is a far greater emphasis on bright background detail and eastern otherness in western films. The director who is born in the country takes these things for granted, and we see the familiar features of another country only in subtle background details if we look closer. The story is held together by a great performance from Michael Caine as Thomas Fowler, the ageing, cynical and yet vulnerable reporter. Caine said that he considers this to be his best performance, and he may be right. He has the look of a man who is experienced and world-weary. We can see his doubts, troubles and guilt in every line in his face. Behind the love triangle and the political positioning lies a deeper ethical dilemma. Is it right to stay neutral, or is one morally obliged to take action? Hinh is clear about this: "Sooner or later Mr Fowler, one has to take sides. One has to be human." However the decision to act is a terrible one that brings with it guilt, and complicity in bad actions. Despite their differences, Pyle has been Fowler's friend, and is not (according to his own moral code) an evil man. Earlier in the movie, Pyle saves Fowler's life, and now Fowler is asked to take Pyle's. Does he have the right to end another man's life? Does he have the right to let Pyle live, and continue in actions that will cause more deaths? As a result, the film concludes with a happy ending that is not very happy. Fowler makes his choice, and events work out well for him, but he is obliged to live with the burden of his decision on his conscience. As he says to Phuong, "I just feel that I ought to apologise to someone." I wrote a longer appreciation of The Quiet American on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/the-quiet-american-2002/ Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/05/23 Full Review Chris L An adaptation of a book which gets close to the dirty reality of 1950-70 Indochina. Michael Caine was a natural for this movie and being filmed in Vietnam makes you feel like you're there in the time. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Graham Greene's dated novel depicts the Vietnam War's middle age with an antiwar message while putting factual parallels through romanticism as the central complication. This second adaptation proved itself seemingly and genuinely more thoughtful on how Greene envisioned on writing and visually connects to our historical knowledge of where it led. But the main attraction that bolstered the film is being the dynamical showcase for Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser at their finest hour from beginning to end no matter their actions, delicately executing the polished script with caress. (B+) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review steve d I thought it was surprisingly dull despite the strong performances. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member one of the very few films to honestly portray American imperialism and empire. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Quiet American

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