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MOVIE: The Quiet American
Starring Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Hai Yen Do
Screenplay By Christopher Hampton, Robert Schenkkan
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Miramax Films
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
Director Phillip Noyce's The Quiet American is a rewarding, powerful movie. I'm glad he has the time and clout to make a film like this.
The feel of the story reminds me a bit of The Year Of Living Dangerously, but only on the surface. It actually predates Dangerously as it's the second film based on Graham Greene's controversial, almost prescient 1955 novel. This time Noyce has made a version much closer to the original, thanks to Hampton and Schenkkan's screenplay, and its message is still controversial and relevant.
The story is set in a turbulent time, Vietnam in 1952, when the French have recently lost to the forces of Vietnamese independence. Thomas Fowler, played by Michael Caine, is a British journalist who has made himself comfortable in Saigon in the arms of a beautiful young Vietnamese woman, Phuong, played by Hai Yen Do. Fowler has no desire to return to England; life is serene except for the tracer bullets going off in the night. Into his life comes an idealistic American, Alden Pyle, played by Brendan Fraser, seemingly fresh out of med school and on a mission to bring eyeglasses to poor Vietnamese children. He befriends Fowler easily but he is actually from the CIA. As such, Pyle has faith he is doing the right thing to save Vietnam from the communists, he's the quintesstential true believer, but his methods are Machiavellian. He ties himself to Fowler to get information but in the process he also becomes smitten by Phuong's beauty, even winning her from Fowler, but somehow the two remain friendly.
Hai Yen Do glides through each scene with effortless grace; it's easy to see why both Fowler and Pyle fall in love her. In a way she's like the whole country of Vietnam, a taxi dancer for rich foreigners. Brendan Fraser also does a great job, first appearing like an overenthusiastic puppy as if he's in another goofy comedy, but he transitions smoothly into his action side, becoming a hardened manipulator, capable of wielding a sub-machine gun. Michael Caine as Fowler has one of his best performances ever. He has a world weary aspect but he's obviously taken with his Vietnamese squeeze and is willing to do much to stay with her, even going in to harm's way to get the big story that will keep London paying his bills.
Caine is a study in nuance as Fowler slowly realizes how deep Pyle's plotting really goes, eventually fearing Pyle more for his clandestine efforts than his rivalry for Phuong's love.
The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the movie? Yes.
Would I go to see it again? Definitely.
© 2003 - Rusty Pipes