THE QUIET AMERICAN (Phillip Noyce, 2002)

A British journalist living in Saigon and his Vietnamese girlfriend come into contact with a visiting American who may not be what he seems.

Graham Greene is one of the most celebrated British writers of the 20th century, known for his extensive world travels that led to him being recruited by England's MI6 as a secret agent. Some of his novels are set in places he spent considerable periods of time, in Asia, Africa, and Central America. Over 60 films have been based on his works, including The Third Man and The End of the Affair. Greene's 1955 novel The Quiet American was based on his own eyewitness accounts of the First Indochina War between the French and Vietnamese nationalists and the early involvement of American agents.

Australian director Phillip Noyce made films in his home country beginning in the mid-1970s, and after collaborations with Mad Max director George Miller, began working in Hollywood, his 1988 feature Dead Calm brought then-unknown Nicole Kidman into the American public eye. He made a variety of thrillers over the next 10 years including Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Bone Collector. While traveling in Vietnam in the mid-90s he inadvertently came across Greene's novel and was set on adapting it for the screen.

The rights to the novel were already held by Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack (Tootsie, Out of Africa), who had been trying to develop the production for years. The two men bonded over their affection for Vietnam, and drafted screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) to work on the script. Also collaborating was award-winning playwright Robert Schenkken.

The choice was made to film on location in Vietnam, more open to Westerners since Bill Clinton's outreach to the county as president. Shooting occurred in Hanoi, Saigon, and Hoi An, with some interiors shot in Sydney. Behind the camera, working with Noyce for the second film in a row, was cinematographer Christopher Doyle, known primarily for his work with Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai (In The Mood For Love, Chunking Express).

Veteran actor Michael Caine was tipped to play the story's protagonist, joined by Brendan Fraser (the Mummy films). Noyce was insistent on finding a local actress to play the character of Phuong, and discovered relative newcomer Do Thi Hai Yen at a casting call her boyfriend was there for. Her first role was for local director Tran Anh Hung, who became an advisor to Noyce on the film. The cast also includes Croatian actor Rade Sherbedgia (Eyes Wide Shut) and Chinese actor Tzi Ma (Arrival).

Unfortunately for the filmmakers, The Quiet American was completed in the autumn of 2001 and set for release before the end of the year, but after the 9/11 attacks, test audiences did not approve of the film's anti-American sentiment. The film was held until the following year, where it garnered an Academy Award nomination for Caine, Best Director honors from the National Board of Review, and London Film Critics award wins for Caine and Noyce.

Running time is approx. 100 minutes.