The Quiet American (2003)

Love and war make for an interesting combination in The Quiet American. This fine adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel of the same name focuses on the love triangle between a British journalist, his Vietnamese lover, and a mysterious American in 1952 Vietnam. It also hints at the beginning of the war in Vietnam with the Americans.
Michael Caine stars as Thomas Fowler, an old British reporter sending out wire stories to his London newspaper. The film opens with the death of Fowler’s American friend, and the majority of the movie is a flashback by Fowler as he recounts his interactions with this man.
The real story begins when Fowler, who has already been in Saigon for several years, meets with Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a young American medical volunteer. Fowler enjoys the American’s good-natured manner and shows him around the exotic nightlife of Saigon. When Pyle sees Fowler’s beautiful Vietnamese mistress, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), he falls in love immediately.
The problem for Fowler is that he can’t get his wife in England to divorce him, despite the fact that he hasn’t seen her for years. Phuong wants to get away from increasingly violent Vietnam, and her sister (Pham Thi Mai Hoa) demands that Phuong marry someone properly. Pyle offers shelter, true marriage, and financial stability to Phuong. When Fowler is caught lying to her about marriage, she leaves him for Pyle.
From here, the story takes a different direction. Fowler, depressed and angry, turns his thoughts toward the war. The French have been struggling with the communists, and the arrival of more Americans to help intrigues him. He is surprised to see how a new party’s general, Thé (Quang Hai), can gather resources so quickly. Fowler suspects that the Americans are helping this new faction get supplies.
Fowler also begins to question Pyle’s true reasons for coming to Vietnam. At first, Pyle seems like an honest, bright-eyed, idealistic American youth. He and his fellow Americans, however, are always lurking around the new party’s camp. Fowler initially wants to be an impartial observer, but he eventually questions the underground dealings of the Americans. When he witnesses a suspicious bombing, his fears rise. He questions Pyle and discovers that the American’s idealism has many sides. The movie ends as it started, with the American dead and Fowler questioning his situation.
Director Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, The Bone Collector) portrays 1952 Vietnam beautifully. He effectively captures both the dark tone of the war and the romantic background of Saigon. The opening sequence with Fowler remarking on the beauty of the country (while bombs light up the sky) only emphasizes the tragedies that are to come. Caine performs well for his role as the gentlemanly Fowler. Fraser’s schoolboy looks and gee-whiz attitude are perfect for his character, who seems very naive. Yen quietly displays great sensuality and devotion to the two men.
The emphasis on the love triangle may disappoint those looking for an explosive Vietnam War film, but it is essential to the story. There are some questions about the ending, and some of the details have been left out of the book, but the film remains very well made. The tension between the different groups in Vietnam becomes very evident in this excellent drama. The comparison between love and war does as well.