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The Quiet American

The Quiet American

Romance · Thriller · Drama · 2002

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.

Movie details

The Quiet American

“In war, the most powerful weapon is seduction.”

2002 Romance · Thriller · Drama 1h 41m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Quiet American?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Phillip Noyce

Written by

Christopher Hampton · Robert Schenkkan

Michael Caine

Michael Caine

Thomas Fowler

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser

Alden Pyle

Đỗ Thị Hải Yến

Đỗ Thị Hải Yến

Phuong

Tzi Ma

Tzi Ma

Hinh

Rade Šerbedžija

Rade Šerbedžija

Inspector Vigot

Robert Stanton

Robert Stanton

Joe Tunney

Holmes Osborne

Holmes Osborne

Bill Granger

Court is in session

Put The Quiet American on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.