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The Quiet American
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The Quiet American (2002) More at IMDbPro »

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The Quiet American (2002) -- Open-ended Trailer from Miramax
The Quiet American (2002) -- An older British reporter vies against a young American for the affections of a Vietnamese beauty.

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   12,862 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Phillip Noyce
Writers (WGA):
Graham Greene (novel)
Christopher Hampton (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Quiet American on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 February 2003 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller | Romance | War more
Tagline:
In war, the most powerful weapon is seduction.
Plot:
An older British reporter vies against a young American for the affections of a Vietnamese beauty. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(27 articles)
Angelina Jolie Back Filming 'Salt' Despite On-Set Injury
 (From Aceshowbiz. 29 May 2009, 9:03 PM, PDT)

Movie Review - 'Is Anybody There?'
 (From Get The Big Picture. 1 May 2009, 4:06 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Brilliant adaptation more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michael Caine ... Thomas Fowler

Brendan Fraser ... Alden Pyle

Do Thi Hai Yen ... Phuong

Rade Serbedzija ... Inspector Vigot (as Rade Sherbedgia)

Tzi Ma ... Hinh

Robert Stanton ... Joe Tunney
Holmes Osborne ... Bill Granger
Quang Hai ... General Thé
Ferdinand Hoang ... Mr. Muoi
Pham Thi Mai Hoa ... Phuong's Sister
Mathias Mlekuz ... French Captain
Kevin Tran ... Watch Tower Soldier
Lap Phan ... Watch Tower Soldier
Tim Bennett ... American Photographer

Jeff Truman ... Dancing American
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Der stille Amerikaner (Germany)
The Spy (Philippines: English title)
Un Américain bien tranquille (France)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for images of violence and some language.
Runtime:
101 min
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Filming Locations:
Da Nang, Vietnam more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The US release of this movie was delayed for more than a year by the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001. The producers were concerned that it would be seen as anti-American. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: When Fowler is reading his report of the massacre in The Times, the text says "120 kilometers". In the unlikely event that an English journalist in the 1950s would use kilometers instead of miles, he would have spelled it "kilometres". Also, the text reads that Phat Diem is "120 kilometers north of Hanoi" when, in fact, it is 120 kilometers SOUTH of Hanoi. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Thomas Fowler: [voiceover] I can't say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman's voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you're looking for, you will find here...
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Film Geek (2005) more
Soundtrack:
La Seine more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
42 out of 46 people found the following comment useful:-
Brilliant adaptation, 3 April 2003
9/10
Author: jotix100 from New York

Phillip Noyce achieves a remarkable triumph in his version of The Quiet American by staying true the Graham Greene's text. Christopher Hampton's adaptation of the book never strays away from the basic premise of the story. This film in someone else's hands would have probably evolved into a war epic. Noyce and Hampton stay focused on the two main characters, who, after all, are the key to the story.

It's hard to think Thomas Fowler was not tailor made for Michael Caine. He was born to play this part. His characterization of this troubled soul is remarkable. Mr. Caine gets the essence of Fowler without any effort, or so it seems. He is a jaded man who understands the Viet Nam before the American involvement. He knows he can't go home again to a loveless marriage, one in which he will not be able to escape after having experienced things he never would have thought possible in starchy old London.

Brendan Fraser is an actor with a lot of experience in the theater, even though his choices in films leave a lot to be desired. As he proved with Gods and Monsters, he can hold his own against a great British actor such as Ian McKellen, or on an equal footing with Michael Caine in this film. His take on Alden Pyle is as vicious, devious and sly as Graham Greene made him out to be. Mr. Fraser gets under the skin of Pyle with such flair in the creation of this enigmatic man.

The rest of the cast is not up to the two principals, but it's the confrontation between Fowler and Pyle what really makes this a tremendous acting feast.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Tired... fitzpatrick_ann
Devil's Advocate rendrag-2
Read about Edward Lansdale, the real 'Pyle' woodway77
Fenway Hall? dbdolan
Netflix Spoiled Me :( *spoilers* digit_7766
i need some serious help RockinRollette
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