The Quiet
American
Starring:
Michael
Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Rade Serbedzija
Running
time: 101 minutes
Year:
2002
Directed
By: Phillip
Noyce
Written
By: Christopher
Hampton & Robert Schenkkan
When I was at college I had to read the Graham Greene
novel The Quiet American and then
write an essay regarding colonialism within the literature. Due to this I
despised the book, not because the story or writing weren't good but because I
had to do an essay on something that really didn't interest me. Years later I
have decided to watch the film version of that novel and I have to say it was
much better than I remember. Like I said the book wasn't bad but after watching
this film, which I thought was great, I am considering buying the book and
re-reading it.
The film is kept quite close to the book; which is
good news for all of those who have read it. The story follows Thomas Fowler
(Caine) who is an English journalist in Vietnam due to the war between the
French colonialist and the communists of Vietnam. Since being there he has met
a young Vietnamese woman who he can't marry due to still being married to a
Catholic woman refusing a divorce. He really believes that he loves this woman
despite the fact he knows most of these women are with wealthier older men to
get themselves out of the country. Fowler's life begins to change though when
he meets Alden Pyle (Fraser), an American medical worker who has been sent in
to aid the Vietnamese. Although they become good friends, Pyle falls in love
with Fowler's girl and as this is 1950's Vietnam he believes he should be able
to declare his love and let her decide. Fowler then has to do all he can to
keep his girl from a man with many more prospects than him. All of this is set
in the beginning of the Vietnamese war and highlights a possible way to how the
Americans became involved, which also ties in with this love triangle.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a love story.
It may be at heart a love story but surrounding it around the war makes all the
difference. There are plenty of political theories and themes' running through
it and the love story is only really one half of the entire plot but the
driving force behind it all.
Caine and Fraser are brilliant in this film. Their
chemistry is spot on and after reading the book these actors are exactly how
you would expect them to be, they definitely done their homework. Other members
of the cast also portray their roles well but it is the two leads who steal it.
Caine seems to breeze through it with ease with it being a simple role for him,
so most praise has to go to Fraser who has proved that he isn't just a comic
actor and can take serious roles seriously. Both actors play their characters
with hidden depth that seeps through as the story goes on, and we can clearly
see a change in both their personalities by the end of the film.
The setting is also beautiful. The cities of Vietnam
look great despite war torn, and the graininess of the cinematography also adds
to this. The war scenes are filmed well and they add to the depth of conflict
and desperation which is shown throughout. War may be happening but our leads
are more worried that love will keep them alive.
The film kept me gripped till the end, and the final
twenty minutes is intense when we finally understand what is happening. The
music adds to this tension and the fast pace of the build up. This final act
ironed out a few negatives that I had with the film and cleared them from view.
One of these was that the beginning felt a little disjointed and expositional
but the final act made me forget all about it. This was a film that I am
surprised to have liked and I recommend it to those of you out their interested
in this kind of plot line. Actually I recommend it to anyone who likes Michael
Caine, and that must be everybody. Also don't be put off by the casting of
Brendan Fraser, he is actually really good.
4
/ 5
Next film to review: Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
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