The Quiet American | Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave

The Quiet American | Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave | JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ, OPUS 15

DVDs:

The Quiet American

	The Quiet American Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave MGM (Video & DVD), 2005 average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A love triangle brews amidst a growing political tempest in this "brilliantly intellectual" (Los Angeles Times) film in which nothing is quite as it seems. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Graham Greene Academy Award®-winning* writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's screenplay "delivers dialogue that not only sparkles but bites deep with the irony of truth" (Citizen-News).In 1952 Saigon is caught between the corrupt colonial powers and the Communist uprising. An idealistic young American (Audie Murphy) champions a shadowy Third Force but cynical British journalist Thomas Fowler (Michael Redgrave) is concerned only with the American's interest in his mistress. When jealousy forces Fowler to take sides at last the personal and political consequences are devastating.System Requirements: Running Time 122 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: NR UPC: 027616921710 Manufacturer No: 1008133

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The Quiet American

I purchased this as a gift for my father-in-law for Father's Day and he loved it and is sharing it with others. There is no age bracket for a movie of this caliber.

JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ, OPUS 15

****1/2 1958. Co-written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, THE QUIET AMERICAN is an adaptation of Graham Greene's The Quiet American (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition). Is Audie Murphy a spy or an idealist ? Michael Redgrave doesn't hesitate much when the American starts to court his Vietnamese mistress. This excellent adaptation will leave you a bitter aftertaste in the mouth thanks to Michael Redgrave's superior performance as the cur Thomas Fowler. highly recommended.

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More Film Noir Than Political Thriller

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Graham Greene's acclaimed novel, THE QUIET AMERICAN, was first filmed back in 1958 with screenplay and direction by multiple Oscar-winner Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Although this black-and-white film, which was shot in Vietnam, follows the same basic storyline as the 2002 color remake, the tone of this earlier effort is considerably different, more film noirish than political thriller.

The picture is set in 1952. Michael Redgrave stars as the Vietnam-based British journalist (played by Michael Caine in the remake), who loves his Vietnamese mistress (Giorgia Moll), but is already married. His world begins to change when an idealistic young American (a miscast Audie Murphy) enters the picture and declares his love for Moll.

Jealous and afraid of losing Moll, the ordinarily neutral-thinking Redgrave begins to take an interest in Vietnam's volatile political system, hoping that he can rid himself of Murphy who may not be quite all that he seems.

This is a somewhat talky, yet involving, drama.

© Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (available December 2008)

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Very good, but with a Hollywood ending that ruins it!

The first two-thirds of this film is excellent. Then, Hollywood has to simplify and dummy down the end. Rent the 1950's version of this, and also read the book. Here's what made those two infinitely more fascinating...
1. Ambiguity! You are never sure if the American was working with the enemy (or who the enemy is, for that matter), or if our main British character wanted to believe he was, was duped like a pawn into believing he was, to get the American killed out of a sense of revenge. This new version destroys that!
2. Our burned-out British journalist DOES NOT get the girl in the end. Hollywood sucks!
Again, the first two-thirds are really good. You just need to tack on the ending of the 1950's version. Not that the 1950's version wasn't without its flaws (the female lead was as far from Vietnamese looking as you can get... try a European with black hair). Combine those two movies, you really would have a movie that's faithful to a phenomenal book.

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A Convenient Interpretation

A decidedly Americentric portrayal of a novel that, in fact, portrays Americans in an extremely negative light. Graham Greene was, understandably, not amused by this deliberate misunderstanding. Taken just as a movie, I found The Quiet American intelligent but slow and poorly acted by everyone except Redgrave. He is masterful as he effects a cynical, hedonistic, above-it-all smugness perfectly. To have no opinion is, itself, an opinion. To refuse to side with the forces of good is morally equivalent to siding with the forces of evil. The American, misguided though he may be, at least fights for what he thinks is right. The Vietnamese are portrayed as guests at their own party. Worth a look to compare/contrast to the book and the Michael Caine movie.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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