SummaryFrom the classic novel by Graham Greene comes a murder mystery centered on a love triangle set against the French Indochina War in Vietnam circa 1952. (Miramax)
Directed By:Phillip Noyce
Written By:Graham Greene, Christopher Hampton, Robert Schenkkan
The Quiet American
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
84
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
84
95% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
100
As thoughtful as it is handsomely acted. Caine's subtle, bold performance should guarantee him an aisle seat on Oscar night.
100
An instant classic and a dramatic beauty, a film that gets us to the core of Greene's chilly, dark and romantic view of the post-war world.
90
Caine makes Hampton's too-literary narration work by playing it as an inner dialogue: It's the best performance of narration I've ever heard. It makes you want to hear Caine read the whole book--or read anything.
89
In so many ways, The Quiet American speaks volumes.
80
One of Caine's meatiest roles, and he handles it with power, humanity and remarkable emotional fluidity; from the opening moments, an enormous amount comes through his eyes alone.
75
This is intelligent grown-up entertainment on both a political and a humanistic level.
30
As is frequently the case when there is public fuss about a film or play, the work itself is not very good.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
79% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
13% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
8% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Apr 13, 2016
8
A truly wonderful exercise in subtle brilliance, The Quiet American is a fantastic look at Vietnam before American forces arrived and really provides a compelling look at colonialism vs the rise of communism and the role America played. A subtly put together film, The Quiet American feels cut from the same cloth as something such as Casablanca, which I was not expecting. An oddly romantic love letter to the escape Vietnam provided for some, The Quiet American is also incredibly romantic in a more traditional sense with a truly engaging look at relationships forged during such troubling times. The subtle direction from Phillip Noyce is fantastic as is the very good writing that does a great job crafting these characters. As for the acting, Michael Caine turns in an absolutely phenomenal performance. It honestly may be one of the best performances I have been blessed to see. Brendan Fraser does very good as well when faced with the impossible task of out-acting Caine. Overall, The Quiet American is a truly engaging film that is very nuanced and incredibly subtle. To me, it feels like an old-time film that somehow got made in 2002 and thank God for that.
Production Company:
- Miramax
- Intermedia Films
- Mirage Enterprises
- Saga
- IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 2. Produktions KG
- Giai Phong Film Studio
- Pacifica Film
Release Date:Nov 22, 2002
Duration:1 h 41 m
Rating:R
Tagline:In war, the most powerful weapon is seduction.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Satellite Awards
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
