Film
Reviews: The Quiet American
January
2003
 As I watch the end of
The Quiet American, I am struck at the quality of movies that
Hollywood is presenting to its movie audiences.
You can go from
fantasy in The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers, to the realities
in The Quiet American and in between you can wince at the
historical drama, Gangs of New York, think about life/death and
women’s history in The Hours.
But back to The
Quiet American. This is another of those films that uses the excellent acting
of Michael Caine, whose character makes a pivotal decision toward the
end. He decides to open the
book at the window only after not liking what he hears from Brandon
Fraser, who plays ironically, the "quiet" American.
Michael Caine’s
character illustrates how each of us in our lives make pivotal
decisions, not as personally and politically ingrained as Caine’s
character, but our decisions are enough to significantly affect
ourselves and others. With
Caine’s decision, he has chosen a political side, he has chosen the
chance of getting his female partner back, and he has chosen where he is
to live the rest of his days.
There are many kinds
and levels of decisions we all make, and Michael Caine’s character
brings these to our consciousness.
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