“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.
The movie is essentially a love triangle set
in a war. It takes place in 1952 during
the First Indochina War (1946-1954).
This was the war where the Vietminh were fighting for independence from
French colonialism. Thomas Fowler
(Caine) is an aging British journalist who has been reporting from French
Indochina for years. He is supposed to
be covering the war for the London Times, but he has no stake in it and a waning
interest. “I have never thought of
myself as a correspondent, just a reporter.
I offer no point of view, I take no action, I don’t get involved. I just
report what I see.” He has succumbed to
the languid nature of life in Saigon (for example, he smokes opium) where he
has a mistress named Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen in her debut). He loves her, but she is a classic
concubine. He can’t marry her because he
is in a loveless marriage with a woman who would never agree to a divorce. Into their placid existence (disturbed only
occasionally by the war), comes a dashing young American named Alden Pyle
(Brendan Fraser). He is an American aid
worker. That’s his cover, as he is
actually a CIA agent. Pyle is ambitious
and has a plan to advance American interests in his messy war. His theory is that if a third player is added
to the mix of communist Vietminh versus French colonial forces, Vietnam can
become a showcase for successfully fighting the Cold War. Specifically, he wants to funnel aid to a
Vietnamese general who will fight both the communist Vietminh and the
incompetent French. And if he happens to conduct terrorist activities that can
be blamed on the commies, well… “In a
war, you use the tools you’ve got.” Even
after witnessing a well-staged car bombing with realistic carnage, he sticks
with his Machiavellian philosophy. “What
I saw made me disgusted, but if it keeps out the communists it’s necessary.” Fowler and Pyle become frenemies. Fowler is the cynic, Pyle the idealist. The triangle is overt as the men compete for
Phuong’s affections. Fowler is at a
disadvantage because Pyle is a charming rogue and much closer to Phuong’s
age. It would be a shame if something happened
to Pyle.
This is a very adult movie and don’t we
adults occasionally want to see one? You
can’t spend your whole adulthood watching superhero movies, right? And you can’t spend your whole life just
watching war movies that feature combat.
This is a war movie, but it is one of those that place the characters in
a war setting and have them impacted by the war rather than participating in
it. Fowler is a chronicler of the war,
but a disinterested one. Pyle is a
manipulator of the war. Although the
title of the movie refers to him, it would have been better entitled “The American”
as he represents the whole country and its involvement in French Indochina at
the time. Although not based on a true
story, it probably accurately reflects the machinations of the CIA. One theme is how Vietnam was corrupted by
foreigners. The French at the time of
the movie, Americans like Pyle in the future.
But some Vietnamese, like Phuong, benefit from foreign involvement.
The plot mixes politics with romance. The love triangle is intriguing and not
standard. Phuong is tugged between the
colonial past and the American future.
But, like most Vietnamese, she is only a pawn. A very lovely pawn. Hai Yen does not have to do much other than
look lovely. The heavy lifting is done
by Caine and Fraser. Caine is outstanding
and deserved the Oscar nod. He walks the
line between hero and villain deftly.
His age helped him portray a man who can’t compete with a younger
version of himself. Fraser is
surprisingly good. He made it just a
year after “The Mummy” and it was released around the time his career began to
go downhill. The setting enhances the
narrative with plenty of local cover.
The dialogue matches the adult vibe of the film.
If you are a fan of Vietnam War movies, this
movie will help you understand how we got into the mess. It makes a good prequel to “Go Tell the
Spartans”. Before you watch Americans
kill commies, see how we got the chance to do that. And the chance to make movies like “Platoon”.
GRADE = B
