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”And there was Alden Pyle. A face with no history, no problems. The face we all had once.”
American Alden Pyle (Brendan Frasier), a specialist in eye diseases with the Economic Aid Mission, is in Saigon during the French Indochina War in 1952. He meets London Times reporter Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), who teaches Pyle about Vietnam’s battle for independence, Pyle swiftly falls in love with Fowler’s young lover Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Phoung’s sister Hinh (Tzi Ma) favors Phoung’s relationship with the much younger Pyle, especially since Fowler is already married.
When Fowler heads to the battle zones in the north, Pyle follows to treat eye diseases in the villages. When they find the slaughter of an entire village, they know the French didn’t do this as it’s not in their best interest and realize some other faction is at work in the war torn country. Fowler realizes that Pyle is actually doing intelligence work.
As the war intensifies and Pyle’s involvement in the war on behalf of the US increases, both men are determined to win Phuong.
Based on a novel by Graham Greene. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Produced by Sydney Pollack.
The DVD bonus material provides an excellent timeline of Vietnam’s struggles beginning with the United State’s involvement supporting Vietnam as early as the early 1940s to the final withdrawal of American forces from North Vietnam in 1975. In all, more than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam while 1.5 million Vietnamese lost their lives.
Run time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Rated R.
My personal rating: B
American Alden Pyle (Brendan Frasier), a specialist in eye diseases with the Economic Aid Mission, is in Saigon during the French Indochina War in 1952. He meets London Times reporter Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), who teaches Pyle about Vietnam’s battle for independence, Pyle swiftly falls in love with Fowler’s young lover Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Phoung’s sister Hinh (Tzi Ma) favors Phoung’s relationship with the much younger Pyle, especially since Fowler is already married.
When Fowler heads to the battle zones in the north, Pyle follows to treat eye diseases in the villages. When they find the slaughter of an entire village, they know the French didn’t do this as it’s not in their best interest and realize some other faction is at work in the war torn country. Fowler realizes that Pyle is actually doing intelligence work.
As the war intensifies and Pyle’s involvement in the war on behalf of the US increases, both men are determined to win Phuong.
Based on a novel by Graham Greene. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Produced by Sydney Pollack.
The DVD bonus material provides an excellent timeline of Vietnam’s struggles beginning with the United State’s involvement supporting Vietnam as early as the early 1940s to the final withdrawal of American forces from North Vietnam in 1975. In all, more than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam while 1.5 million Vietnamese lost their lives.
Run time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Rated R.
My personal rating: B
