The Quiet American (2002)

An older British reporter vies against a young American for the affections of a Vietnamese beauty.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Graham Greene (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 7 nominations.

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

Storyline

British Thomas Fowler enjoys his life in Saigon working as a reporter for the London Times covering the conflict in Vietnam between the colonial French powers and the communists, who seem to be winning the war. In the later stages of his career, he takes his job lightly now, filing stories only on occasion, and no longer doing field work. But most importantly, this posting allows him to escape from what he considers a dreary life in London - including an unsatisfying marriage to a Catholic woman, who will never grant him a divorce - which in turn allows him to have an affair with a young Vietnamese ex-taxi dancer named Phuong, who he loves and would marry if he was able. Phuong's sister doesn't much like Fowler if only because Fowler cannot provide a stable future for her. His idyllic life is threatened when head office suggests he go back to London. As such, he decides to write a major story to prove to his superiors that he should stay in Saigon. In 1952, Fowler is called into the ...

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Plot Keywords:

vietnamese | love | american | vietnam | saigon | 

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Taglines:

In war, the most powerful weapon is seduction.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for images of violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Germany USA UK Australia France

Language:

English French Vietnamese

Release Date:

7 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der stille Amerikaner

Filming Locations:

Da Nang, Vietnam

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$52,248 (Brazil) (28 February 2003)

Gross:

$12,987,647 (USA) (1 August 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 2. Produktions KG, Intermedia Films, Mirage Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Cruise was at one point interested in the project, but was never officially attached to it. Director Noyce wanted Heath Ledger to play the role that went to Brendan Fraser, but was very happy with Fraser's work in the film.

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Goofs

Before the end titles, we are treated to headlines in The Times from the 1950s, over Fowler's byline. The variant "advisor" is seen instead of the more traditional "adviser", which was (and still is) prescribed by The Times' style guide - although "advisor" had occasionally appeared since at least 1833.

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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. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that's the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. ...

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Connections

Version of The Quiet American (1958)

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Soundtracks

"Song for Phuong"
Composed by Craig Armstrong
Lyrics by Craig Armstrong & Hong Nhung
Performed by Hong Nhung

User Reviews

Very good movie

Very good movie, close to the book. Recommended for everyone, especially for the ones who have read the book. Very very pictorial and beautiful, creates the atmosphere and impressions you'd have if you read the original story. The cast is wonderful; the actors' play is excellent. Besides, actor playing Fowler is from London, actor playing Pyle is American, so they look close to what the author of the book wanted them to be. Pyle, however, could be less bully-looking, in my opinion; I imagined him to be somewhat lighter, but I quickly forgot about it as the movie went on. The movie is built on contrasts: the contrasts between main characters, the contrasts of Vietnam, even the contrast in accents (I counted at least 5 different accents: British,American,french,strong/weak Chinese). Also, the movie is rather brief and is therefore quite dynamic, the time is not wasted in it. That's why it's only 3/2 hours long. This is the kind of movie that will not make you wait until it's finished. I highly recommend this movie for everyone with a taste for good movies.