Stars: Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Rade Serbedzija

Director: Phillip Noyce

Summary: Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this story of love and war is set in Saigon, 1952. Thomas Fowler, a journalist for the Times enjoys his life in Vietnam living with a beautiful local woman called Phuong. Fowler's peace is shattered with the arrival of Alden Pyle, a doctor who also falls in love with Phuong...

Set in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1952 during the French Indochina war, THE QUIET AMERICAN is based on the mystery story by Graham Greene, and directed by Phillip Noyce. A middle-aged British reporter for the London Times, Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), has been working in Vietnam, covering politics and enjoying the local culture. He lives with a beautiful young woman, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a taxi dancer who he rescued from that undesirable profession. He cannot marry her, because he is already married to a Catholic woman in London who does not believe in divorce. But he truly loves her. When a young American doctor, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), falls in love with Phuong, threatening to take her from Fowler, everything changes. Not only is Fowler's romantic life put in danger, but he begins to uncover disturbing information about the U.S.'s involvement in the war.
An intriguing and atmospheric love story as well as a riveting mystery, THE QUIET AMERICAN features top-notch performances from Caine and Fraser, who maintain an eager intensity throughout the film. Combining the mysterious beauty of Saigon with the strangeness of the war, the film is suspenseful and effective.

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An impressive film from director Philip Noyce, The Quiet Americanproves that elegant and intelligent film-making can be emotionally powerful. Michael Caine plays Thomas Fowler, a British journalist in 1950s Vietnam with a lovely Vietnamese mistress named Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen) and a jaded view of the political strife teeming around him. He befriends a seemingly innocuous American named Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), who falls in love with Phuong--and slowly, Pyle's real purpose in Vietnam becomes revealed. Fowler finds that, to hold on to the carefully balanced life he's created for himself, he must make choices he's long avoided. Caine and Fraser are both superb and give a human face to complicated politics; as a result, The Quiet Americanmanages to be compelling as both history and a story about very specific people embroiled in a very personal conflict. --Bret Fetzer

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentary - 1. Phillip Noyce - Director, Featurette - 1. ANATOMY OF A SCENE, 2. BEHIND THE SCENES, Vietnam Study Guide, Book Reviews
Year:	2002
Release Date:	September 8, 2003
Runtime:	96 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B E D 888834
Label:	Miramax Home Entertainment
Keywords:	American, Quiet, General, Romantic, Drama
Genre:	Drama