The Quiet American

2002
15
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

30K

YOUR RATING

Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, and Do Thi Hai Yen in The Quiet American (2002)

Play trailer1:13

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Political Thriller Spy Drama Romance Thriller War

An old British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman.An old British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman.An old British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

30K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 13 wins & 14 nominations total

User reviews217

Featured review

9/10

A Powerful Triangle of Love in the Beginning of the American Intervention in Vietnam

In Saigon, 1951, Thomas Fowler (Michael Fowler) is an English journalist, married in England with a catholic woman, and in love with a Vietnamese girl, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Thomas meets Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) in a bar. Pyle is a doctor working in an aid mission, and pretty soon, he falls in love with Phuong. Pyle offers her what Thomas is not possible to give, i.e., a marriage and escape of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the political situation in Vietnam is boiling, with the French trying to get control again of the country, the communists trying to impose their system to the South, and the American secretly giving support to a third Vietnamese part.

This romance is perfect: the outstanding performance of Michael Caine in the first plane, and Brendan Fraser (in his best role, since 'Gods and Monsters') and Do Thi Hai Yen are fantastic. The screenplay of Christopher Hampton, based in a novel of Graham Greene, is wonderful. And the direction of Phillip Noyce is magnificent, presenting the story in right doses of romance, drama, action and special effects. An overwhelming movie for all tastes. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Americano Quieto" ("The Quiet American")

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The Quiet American

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Storyline

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Trivia
Director Phillip Noyce wanted Heath Ledger to play the role of Alden Pyle, but was happy with Brendan Fraser's work in this movie.

Goofs
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.

Quotes
[first lines]
Thomas Fowler: [narrating] 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.
Thomas Fowler: 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. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there's a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.