The Quiet American (2002 film) – film by Phillip Noyce
The Quiet American (2002 film) – film by Phillip Noyce
“The Quiet American” is a 2002 film directed by Phillip Noyce. It’s based on the novel of the same name by British author Graham Greene. The film is set in 1952 during the First Indochina War and is primarily a political thriller and drama. Here are some key details about the film:
Plot: The story follows the experiences of a British journalist named Thomas Fowler (played by Michael Caine) who is stationed in Vietnam to cover the ongoing conflict between the French colonial forces and the communist Viet Minh. He becomes romantically involved with a local woman named Phuong (played by Do Thi Hai Yen). Fowler’s life takes a complicated turn when he meets Alden Pyle (played by Brendan Fraser), an idealistic American aid worker who has his own agenda in Vietnam.
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Pyle is not what he appears to be, and his actions have far-reaching consequences for the people of Vietnam and for Fowler’s life.
Themes: “The Quiet American” explores complex themes such as colonialism, foreign intervention, idealism, and moral ambiguity. It delves into the moral dilemmas faced by its characters and the consequences of their actions.
Reception: The film received positive reviews from critics and was praised for its performances, especially Michael Caine’s portrayal of Thomas Fowler. It also earned Brendan Fraser critical acclaim for his role as Alden Pyle. “The Quiet American” was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2003.
Significance: The film is an adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel, which was first published in 1955. Both the novel and the film are considered important works that provide insight into the complex geopolitical landscape of Vietnam during the early 1950s, a period that laid the groundwork for the Vietnam War.
“The Quiet American” is a thought-provoking film that raises questions about foreign involvement in the affairs of other nations and the moral choices individuals make in times of conflict. It remains relevant for its exploration of the ethical and political complexities surrounding foreign intervention.
The Quiet American (2002 film) – film by Phillip Noyce
The Quiet American is a 2002 political drama film and the adaptation of Graham Greene’s bestselling 1955 novel set in Vietnam, The Quiet American. It is directed by Phillip Noyce and stars Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, and Do Thi Hai Yen.
The 2002 version of The Quiet American, in contrast to the 1958 film version, depicted Greene’s original ending and treatment of the principal American character, Pyle. Like the novel, the film illustrates Pyle’s moral culpability in arranging terrorist actions aimed at the French colonial government and the Viet Minh. Going beyond Greene’s original work, the film used a montage ending with superimposed images of American soldiers from the intervening decades of the Vietnam War.
Miramax paid $5.5 million for the rights to distribute the film in North America and some other territories, but it shelved the film for a year due to the September 11 attacks and the film’s “unpatriotic” message.[1] The film finally received an Oscar qualification release in November 2002 and went on to gross US$12.9 million in limited theatrical release in the United States. The film received positive reviews from critics and Caine was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
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Plot[edit]
The story is set in 1952 in Saigon, Vietnam (French Indochina at that time), toward the end of the First Indochina War (1946–1954) in which French forces fought the Communist-led Viet Minh rebels. On one level, The Quiet American is a love story about the triangle that develops between Thomas Fowler, a British journalist in his fifties; Alden Pyle, a young American idealist, supposedly an aid worker; and Phuong, a young Vietnamese woman. On another level it is also about the growing American involvement that led to the full-scale American war in Vietnam.
Thomas Fowler, who narrates the story, is involved in the war only as a reporter, an unengaged observer, apart from one crucial sự kiện. Pyle, who represents America and its policies in Vietnam, is a CIA operative sent to steer the war according to America’s interests, and is passionately devoted to the ideas of an American foreign policy theorist who said that what Vietnam needed was a ” third force ” to take the place of both the colonialists and the Vietnamese rebels and restore order. Pyle sets about creating a ” Third Force ” against the French and the Viet Minh by using a Vietnamese splinter group headed by corrupt militia leader General Thé ( based on the actual Trinh Minh Thế ). His arming of Thé’s militia with American weaponry leads to a series of terrorist bombings in Saigon. Thes e bombings, blamed on the Communists in order to further American outrage, kill a number of innocent people, including women and children .Meanwhile, Pyle has taken Fowler’s Vietnamese mistress Phuong, promising her marriage and security. When Fowler finds out about Pyle’s involvement in the bombings, he takes one definitive action. He silently agrees to enable his assistant, Hinh, and Hinh’s Communist cohorts to take Pyle captive ; when Pyle tries to flee, Hinh fatally stabs him. Phuong subsequently returns to Fowler, and while the local French police commander suspects Fowler had a role in Pyle’s murder, he has no evidence and does not pursue the matter .
Cast[edit]
Production[edit]
The film was shot in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Tỉnh Ninh Bình and Hội An in Vietnam .
Reception[edit]
The film earned positive reviews from critics, currently holding an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 156 reviews, and an average rating of 7.65/10, with the consensus: “Thoughtful and wonderfully acted, The Quiet American manages to capture the spirit of Green[e]’s novel.”[2] It also has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 39 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.[3]
The first rough cut was screened to a test audience on September 10, 2001 and received positive ratings. However, the September 11 attacks took place the next day, and audience ratings dropped with each subsequent screening. Reacting to criticism of the film’s ” unpatriotic ” message, Miramax shelved the film for a year. It was finally screened publicly at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2002 to critical acclaim. The film received an Oscar qualification release in November 2002 and a limited release in January 2003. [ 1 ]The theatrical release ran 118 minutes. [ 4 ] Subsequent television and video releases cut 17 minutes, and run 101 minutes. Cut were : love scenes between Fowler and his young mistress, Phuong ; Pyle’s courtship of Phuong while Fowler is away ; and much of the exposition of the police investigation at the end of the film .
Accolades[edit]
Academy Awards
Golden Globe Awards
BAFTA Awards
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Michael Caine) – Nominated
American Film Institute Awards
- Movie of the Year – Won
London Film Critics’ Circle Awards
National Board of Review
National Society of Film Critics Awards
- Best Actor (Michael Caine) – 2nd place
Satellite Awards
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Source: https://suadieuhoa.edu.vn
Category : American
