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.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 13 wins & 14 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
[Caine] gives one of his best performances, whether dissembling a new-found inner steel under questioning or breaking down in the privacy of a toilet.
– Derek Adams,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
fresh:
Caine, who also starred in one other Greene adaptation, 1983's The Honorary Consul, is the essence of almost all the author's misfits -- a practiced cynic masking an aching romantic.
– Eleanor Ringel Gillespie,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
2 Aug 2003
fresh:
The Quiet American was filmed in Vietnam and does a wonderful job of conveying a sense of place and time.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb 2003
fresh:
For Caine, it's a peak performance in a career that has had many of them.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
7 Feb 2003
fresh:
It's a political story -- and an uncannily timely one -- yet the politics fade into the background in the wake of Caine's complex and splendid performance.