A Quiet American follows the true story of a British journalist covering the Viet Nam tensions prior to the eventual war with the United States. The movie is an adaptation of a novel by the same name. Thomas Fowler, the journalist played by Michael Caine in this adaptation uncovers the CIA presence within South Viet Nam, undermining president Diem and promoting a "third force" as an alternative to the current president or communist rule from the north of the country. Fowler is a very headstrong character who is motivated by the truth as a journalist. This third force appeared to be led by General The, an opportunistic militant, however the reality was that he was under the guise of the American secret service- who secretly imported bomb making materials and eventually set one off in order to scare the Vietnamese public into support of the "third force". Fowler uncovers this and eventually has to choose his allegiances, to Alden Pyle, the befriended CIA agent or to the Vietnamese people.
The movie was directed by Phillip Noyce and received positive reviews from both critics and the public. Caine received both an Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best actor. One overarching theme of the film is how the characters relate to the historical events and the nations that played roles in the start of the Vietnam war. Fowler is representative of France and the wider Europe and their attitudes towards the control of post-colonial France. Pyle represents America and their political interests in the far east and interestingly Phuong, Fowler's mistress, represents the country of Vietnam. Within the film, a love triangle emerges between the three characters and this conflict is indeed a metaphor for the political turmoil between the three forces within the country. I would recommend this film to more mature audiences, to gain an understanding of the internal and international politics of the far east during the 1950s.
Review of The Quiet American
