The Quiet American

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Overview

In this film, Audie Murphy plays an enigmatic American who comes to Saigon. When the American meets an embittered journalist and falls for his Indochinese girlfriend, the reporter retaliates by telling the communists that the American GI is selling munitions to non-communist troops.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/18/2023
UPC:	0850035985717
Original Release:	1958
Rating:	NR
Source:	Sandpiper Pictures
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:01:00
Sales rank:	21,738

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Audie Murphy	The American
Michael Redgrave	Thomas Fowler
Claude Dauphin	Inspector Vigot
Giorgia Moll	Phuong
Kerima	Miss Hei
Bruce Cabot	Bill Granger
Fred Sadoff	Dominguez
Richard Loo	Mister Heng
Peter Trent	Eliot Wilkins
Clinton Anderson	Joe Morton
Yoko Tani	Hostess
Sonia Moser	Yvette
Phuong Thi Nghiep	Isabelle
Vo Doan Chau	Cao-Dai Commandant
Le Van Le	Cao-Dai Pope's Deputy
Le Quynh	Masked Man
Georges Brehat	French Colonel
Nguyen Long	Boy with Mask

Technical Credits

Roscoe Cline	Special Effects
Joseph L. Mankiewicz	Director,Producer
Basil Fenton-Smith	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Although Graham Greene purists will object to the liberties Joseph L. Mankiewicz took in bringing The Quiet American to the screen, most viewers will find the end result an accomplished, involving, and intriguing, if occasionally talky, experience. The cynicism and the American indictment of Greene's original have been muted, and even those unfamiliar with the novel will likely be able to tell that something is not quite right; but this flaw is more than offset by Mankiewicz's atmospheric, often taut, direction and by the powerful, devastating effect produced by the actions of the two main characters. Viewers are likely to be divided on Audie Murphy's performance, which clearly lacks depth and texture; however, Murphy as a person, if not as an actor, exudes the naïveté and guilelessness that are at the heart of the character, and this helps to atone for much of his lack of acting technique. Michael Redgrave, of course, has technique for days, and he employs it to the full here, delivering a stunning performance that will have the audience on his side (even perhaps when they shouldn't be). Redgrave wraps his soul around the Greene/Mankiewicz dialogue, making a great deal out of even the simplest moments, and the strength of his work carries the film. There's also some gorgeous, very stylish black-and-white photography from Robert Krasker and some evocative location lensing that add to the film's effectiveness.