Themes from The Quiet American
(Thanks to Ash for scribing)
- Vietnam’s conflict – communism
- Fowler’s personal, internal conflict- does he still consider Pile a friend? Or an enemy.
- Fowler- I don’t have a side “I only report the truth”. He was acting as a bystander- neutral in the happenings of Vietnam. Ultimately, he had to choose a side.
- Phuong- she represents conflict. She is what Folwer and Pyle have conflict over.
We can see her as two things:
- the individual that pile and Fowler are fighting over
- see her as Vietnam- being fought over by America, France and Generals Thai. – represents so many Vietnamese women
- The only power Phuong has is her beauty- ironic as this is the cause of the conflict she faces.
Vietnamese Women:
- Prostitution
- Mistress
- Taxi girl (dancing)
- The pinnacle option is finding someone like Pyle and Fowler for a Vietnamese women.
Journalism:
- When bombs going off at the end of the movie, reports trying to get the ‘best’ shot.
- What role should photographers and reporters have?
- Remain impartial to the situation? For how long can you remain a bystander and have no opinion about your surroundings. Do we have to have an opinion?
Graham Greene’s viewpoint of America:
- Negative views
- Critical of the French with colonialism and of America trying to make Vietnam capitalist
- Cold War – battle of ideologies
- External countries will exploit the interests of other countries’ to fulfill their brief.