The remarkable Michael Caine
I saw The Quiet American, starring Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser, over the weekend, and I was totally entranced. First of all, Michael Caine has long been a favorite actor of mine. He elevates every piece of material that he performs, and in this film, his portrayal of Thomas Fowler is nuanced by a lifetime of acting, learning, and observing human nature. Caine plays a British journalist reporting from Saigon in the early 50's. Fowler enjoys a rather lazy life, having tea at the Continental Hotel and indulging himself with a beautiful young Vietnamese mistress. Fraser, no slouch himself, especially considering that he must hold his own in plenty of scenes with Caine, plays Alden Pyle, the quiet American of the film's title.
This film has haunted me over the past two days. The movie's central story is one of an older European man in love with an exotic young beauty. He suddenly finds his relationship challenged by an interloper, a clever young American who has quite a bit more to offer. For me, the primary thrust of the film dealt with what one will do to obtain, or retain, what one desires. Both men want the girl, and the film hinges on what each man is willing to do to have her. This tortured triangle is set against the growing unrest in Vietnam, and we all know how THAT conflict ended.
There are also many other themes at work in the film: how the girl herself represents Vietnam (locked in a struggle of possession), the way political forces worldwide are often manipulated behind closed doors, and the question of whether ends (no matter how good) justify their means (no matter how bad). Both men seem to metaphorically represent the countries they come from. Oddly, their approaches to the two different conflicts (the fight over the girl and the fight over Vietnam), seem to be polar opposites.
The film is also richly shot and very atmospheric. Fowler's character is in love with Vietnam and, before you finish watching the film, I can almost guarantee that you'll have some interest in visiting it yourself. Pyle's blinding white suit, worn in the final scenes of the film, and the face of Hai Yen Do (who plays the girl in question - Fong), will be mental images you won't be able to shake.
If you have the chance to rent or buy The Quiet American, I highly suggest doing so. It's riveting, well worth the investment of your time, and it will keep you thinking for a while.
This film has haunted me over the past two days. The movie's central story is one of an older European man in love with an exotic young beauty. He suddenly finds his relationship challenged by an interloper, a clever young American who has quite a bit more to offer. For me, the primary thrust of the film dealt with what one will do to obtain, or retain, what one desires. Both men want the girl, and the film hinges on what each man is willing to do to have her. This tortured triangle is set against the growing unrest in Vietnam, and we all know how THAT conflict ended.
There are also many other themes at work in the film: how the girl herself represents Vietnam (locked in a struggle of possession), the way political forces worldwide are often manipulated behind closed doors, and the question of whether ends (no matter how good) justify their means (no matter how bad). Both men seem to metaphorically represent the countries they come from. Oddly, their approaches to the two different conflicts (the fight over the girl and the fight over Vietnam), seem to be polar opposites.
The film is also richly shot and very atmospheric. Fowler's character is in love with Vietnam and, before you finish watching the film, I can almost guarantee that you'll have some interest in visiting it yourself. Pyle's blinding white suit, worn in the final scenes of the film, and the face of Hai Yen Do (who plays the girl in question - Fong), will be mental images you won't be able to shake.
If you have the chance to rent or buy The Quiet American, I highly suggest doing so. It's riveting, well worth the investment of your time, and it will keep you thinking for a while.
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