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| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
|
| The
Quiet American
|
 |
Reviewed
by: |
David
Litton |
| Genre: |
Drama |
| Video: |
2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen |
| Audio: |
English Dolby Digital 5.1
|
| Language: |
English
|
| Subtitle: |
English
|
| Length: |
101 min
|
| Rating: |
R
|
| Release
Date: |
07/29/2003
|
| Studio: |
Buena Vista Home Entertainment |
| Commentary:
|
Feature commentary with cast
and crew
|
| Documentaries:
|
None
|
| Featurettes:
|
"Anatomy of a Scene" featurette,
original featurette
|
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None
|
|
Interviews: |
None
|
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None
|
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None
|
| Music
Video: |
None
|
| Other:
|
Vietnam timeline, original
book reviews, DVD-ROM: enhanced Vietnam
timeline |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser,
Do Thi Hai Yen, Rade Serbedzija, Tzi
Ma, Robert Stanton
|
| Written
By: |
Christopher Hampton, Robert
Schenkkan
|
| Produced
By: |
William Horberg, Staffan Ahrenberg
|
| Directed
By: |
Phillip Noyce |
| Music:
|
Craig Armstrong
|
| The
Review: |
Combining the very first encounters
between American and Vietnamese
forces in 1950's Southeastern Asia with a fictional yarn of
jealousy and
great depth, "The Quiet American" plunges us into
an intoxicating world of
culture, class, and backstabbing that is simply a joy to watch.
Michael
Caine deservedly received an Oscar nomination for his turn as
Thomas Fowler,
a journalist for the London Times living in Saigon who finds
his life turned
upside down by the entrance of Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser),
a young American
aid worker who takes a deep interest in Fowler's mistress Phuong
(Do Thi Hai
Yen). It is only after Fowler discovers a darker intention on
the part of
his unwitting nemesis that he devises a plan of revenge that
changes
everything, and brings him to a realization about himself he
would have
otherwise missed entirely.
***
Upon first glancing at the picture, it would appear that the
two separate
storylines have little in common. But think about it: just as
the American
forces are making their big arrival in the name of liberating
the world of
communism, Fowler himself exerts his own force over the romance
between Pyle
and Phuong. Such a parallel requires some post-viewing thought,
but that's
just part of the intrigue of a movie like "The Quiet American."
Director
Phillip Noyce weaves these two threads into an exquisite tapestry
of human
emotional observations and awakenings that never once loses
its splendor or
its impact, all the while keeping in touch with the physical
authenticity
through terrific set design and location shooting in Vietnam.
The
performances from Caine and Fraser are especially involving,
Caine appearing
as a man with tremendous internal burden, Fraser evoking the
sense of growth
that his character in "Gods and Monsters" underwent.
The film's title may
imply silence, but the film itself, with tumultuous underpinnings
and
resonant political themes, is anything but. |
| Image
and Sound: |
Measured at 2.35:1, the anamorphic
image transfer for "The
Quiet American" looks just fine here, even if it's not
completely
top-of-the-line. Color saturation is very nice here, with moments
where
colors are slightly subdued, and others where red and brown
tones appear to
be on the verge of bleeding. Fleshtones may be a bit off in
some places, but
it's nothing major. Contrast is also quite good, with better-than-average
shadow detail that gives way to some artifacting here and there.
Edges are
sharp with a near-complete absence of enhancement halos, and
the source
print is in fine shape. Pretty nice.
***
The sound is mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and ranks as adequate
for the
material. While much of the track doesn't require a great deal
of ambiance
outside of the wafting score, surround usage is fairly decent,
if not
entirely impressive. Deep bass gets a good workout, though,
mostly during
those scenes involving explosions and bombs, while the entire
soundstage
comes to life as well. Dialogue sounds natural throughout, and
channel
separation is good enough.
|
| The
Extras: |
Following the commentary is
the Sundance featurette "Anatomy of
a Scene," in which the Saigon bomb sequence is broken down
by the usual
elements of sound design, character, visual, etc. Anyone who
has seen one of
these pieces knows what to expect, and for those who haven't
it's pretty
straightforward, but delivers some good information. Less engaging
is the
public relations featurette that doesn't really dive into anything,
and
wouldn't be missed had it been left out entirely. We also have
a Vietnam
timeline, available as a watered-down version for set-top users,
and as an
enhanced version for those with DVD-ROM capability. Closing
out the disc is
a gathering of three book reviews of the source novel, none
of which are
particularly life-changing. Fans will appreciate this mostly
for the
commentary; all others are urged to give it a try.
|
| Commentary:
|
The tour de force of the disc
is the commentary with a striking
number of the movie's collaborators: director Phillip Noyce,
cast members
Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser and Tzi Ma, executive producer
Sydney Pollack,
producers Staffan Ahrenberg and William Horberg, co-writer Christopher
Hampton, and Noyce's interpreter and advisor, Tran An Hua. With
the film
running a relatively common length of 101 minutes, this track
is certainly
never boring, with everyone contributing something from their
field of
experience. Pollack's personal trek through Vietnam is especially
interesting to listen to, and Caine provides some engaging discussion
about
his own experiences in wars. Very good. |
| Final
Words: |
Although it was a somewhat
quiet theatrical release for "The
Quiet American," this DVD should do just fine with the
fans.
|
|
|
