The Quiet American

"Violence boiled in the wake of the quiet American!"

Feb 8 1958 TV-PG 2h 0m
Drama, Romance, Thriller

Cynical British journalist Fowler falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman but is dismayed when a naïve U.S. official also begins vying for her attention. In retaliation, Fowler informs the communists that the American is selling arms to their enemy.

Plot

In this adaptation of Graham Greene's prophetic novel about U.S. foreign policy failure in pre-war Indochina, Audie Murphy plays an innocent Young American opposite the older, cynical Brit Sir Michael Redgrave. They play out their widely different views on the prospects struggle for the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people in their competition over a young woman. Murphy wants to reform her and make her a typical middle class American housewife; Redgrave accepts her inability to formulate or retain a political ideal and while promising her no real future, he objects to Murphy's attempts to change her. It's not clear whether Murphy is just what he appears - a bungling Yankee do-gooder, or a deliberate agent of U.S. covert operations.

Written by

Graham Greene, Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Directed by

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Figaro

Languages

English, Français

Awards

1 nomination total

Scores
# of Votes
2,174
Average Rating
6.6 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA