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Introduction Based on a book by Graham Greene, this is a film that I've been meaning to see for a while, so was delighted when I finally got hold of a copy. It didn't make a huge splash when it came out, but reviews I read made out that it was much better than the press it received. I was also interested in the setting for the film, 1950s Saigon, and the expatriate life that Caine portrays. I was slightly disappointed with the film - it was beautifully filmed and Caine does a superb job, but I felt he was let down by the other actors and the various threads of the storyline, which seemed to be cut short.
The director Philip Noyce was born in the Australian outback in 1950. He has directed a series of well-known films, including Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Bone Collector and Rabbit-Proof Fence. The latter, based on a true story of three aboriginal girls abducted from their homes as part
of Australian official policy, has won much recognition.
The story Thomas Fowler is a journalist in 1950s Vietnam, where he combines having a young and beautiful mistress, Phuong, with doing as little work as possible. Threatened by his bosses in London, he starts to make a foray into a deeper understanding of Vietnamese politics by going to the most war-torn area of Vietnam at the time. Around the same time, he meets an American journalist, Alden Pyle, who saves Fowler's life at one point.
The two men become quite close, until Fowler realises that Pyle is in love with Phuong. Eventually, Phuong realises that Fowler will never be able to divorce his Catholic wife back in the UK, and leaves him to set up home with Pyle. Then one day, Fowler realises that Pyle is not who he claims to be. Further investigation makes him realise the danger of Pyle's real job and his threat to Phuong.
The actors Michael Caine is really good as Thomas Fowler. His character develops throughout the film, as we realise that he is not quite as lazy as we first thought. His relationship with Alden Pyle is well portrayed, as is the jealously that he feels when he realises that he has lost Phuong. His relationship with Phuong is less easy to understand. He seems to be in love with her, but it is clear that she is with him because he saved her from a career as a dancer/prostitute and not because she really loves him. She desperately wants the stability of marriage to a foreigner so that she can live well. Yet Fowler doesn't seem to realise this - or at least if he does, he ignores it. Michael Caine was nominated for an Oscar for this role - he didn't get it, but he definitely deserved it. One of his best performances for a long time.
Phuong, played by Do Thai Hai Yen, is certainly beautiful and she looks great on the camera. I didn't feel that her character developed very far though - this is possibly the director's fault - but she seemed to be there to provide eye candy and little else. I was disappointed.
Brendan Fraser as Alden Pyle was also slightly disappointing. I didn't expect too much from him having seen him in The Mummy and although he did an adequate job, I didn't feel any real passion from him - his apparent love for Phuong just didn't come over as being very realistic.
Conclusion The highlight for me was Michael Caine's acting and for this alone, it is worth seeing this film. The other actors are superfluous and do little more than an okay job. The cinematography is also good and I really enjoyed seeing what 1950s Saigon was supposed to look like. The storyline did let the film down though. It was quite slow to begin with and didn't really grip me, then when it did begin to speed up and get interesting, the film suddenly seemed to end without really finishing off the story and I felt I was left hanging. I haven't read the book, although I understand that the film is closely based on the book, but either Graham Greene didn't write as well as he usually does, or it was just not translated over onto the screen. Recommended because of Caine, but don't expect too much from the other actors.
The DVD is available from Amazon for £5.97 or cheaper if you look in the used and new section.
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An impressive film from director Philip Noyce,The Quiet Americanproves that elegant and ... more
intelligent film-making can be emotionally powerful. Michael Caine plays Thomas Fowler, a British journalist in 1950s Vietnam with a lovely Vietnamese mistress name...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
An impressive film from director Philip Noyce,The Quiet Americanproves that elegant and ... more
intelligent film-making can be emotionally powerful. Michael Caine plays Thomas Fowler, a British journalist in 1950s Vietnam with a lovely Vietnamese mistress name...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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![The Quiet American [DVD] [2002]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/80459248.jpg "The Quiet American [DVD] [2002]")
Feb 9th, 2006
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