Q is for "The Quiet American"

 There weren't many contenders, but actually "The Quiet American" is a good exemplar of the war movie genre. It represents those movies that help explain how a war developed. In this case, it is set in the early days of American involvement in South Vietnam. It is an adult drama and has one of the better love triangles that populate many war movies. And it is so well-acted. 

“The Quiet American” was based on the bestseller by Graham Greene.  The novel was published in 1955 and first filmed in 1958, starring Audie Murphy.  This version was directed by Phillip Noyce.  He shot it in Vietnam, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  The release date was set back a couple of years because of the 9/11 attacks and general feeling that the movie was anti-American at a time that movies could not give that perception.  The studio planned to release it straight to video, but Michael Caine convinced them to enter it in the Toronto International Film Festival and it worked.  The reviews were outstanding.  Especially for Caine.  Although he seemed too old at age 68 to play the role of a fiftyish journalist, he nailed it.  He later stated that it was his best performance.  He was nominated for Best Actor by the Academy Awards (losing to Adrien Brody in “The Pianist”), Golden Globes, and BAFTA.