Monday, September 25, 2006
Monday Review: The Ugly American
Since I have so much material (movies, comics, books etc etc) I have decided to make Monday an official review day. That is, I'll be reviewing something of one kind or another every Monday.
The first edition of Monday Review will focus on the 1963 film The Ugly American starring Marlon Brando. Here's a plot summary from IMDB:
Whew! That about sums up the movie right there. Needless to say this was a VERY interesting film. It is loosely based on the book of the same title by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. The film is particular interesting because it is a precursor to what actually happened in Vietnam. It shows quite clearly the misguided and wrongheaded thinking of the "domino theory" that communism would just sweep across the world if left unchecked.
Marlon Brando gives one of his best acting performances ever in the film. The first half of the film has many great dialogue scenes that pulls the viewer into the situation and truly captures the mood and feelings of the characters. I especially liked Brando's cool, calm and collected acting in the senate confirmation hearing scene. He answered the questions with an ease and sense of humour that is disarming and quite charming.
Another great dialogue scene is MacWhite visiting his old friend Deong the evening after he and his wife are met by rioters who nearly kill them when they arrive in Sarkhan. Deong proves to be a great host and friend to MacWhite. In the end tho, Deong admits that he sent out the rioters. He tells MacWhite that he didn't mean it to go out of hand and that it is to protest the building of Freedom Road. MacWhite is visibly disturbed and leaves, only to come back later that night as the two friends start to drift apart due to political reasons.
MacWhite can't believe that Deong would be against America after all that the US has done for that country by providing food, medical supplies, and helping to build a road that would provide jobs and better economic opportunities. Deong counters this by telling MacWhite that the Sarkhanese don't want the road because they know that it'll be used for military purposes by the US and that it will only lead to problems between them and the communist controled north. MacWhite denies this but Deong demands that if the road is not for military purposes then Sarkhanese Prime Minister Kwen Sai should make it publicly known that the road is for all of Sarkhan and won't be used by the Americans. Deong also adds that Sarkhan is tired of being ruled by the iron fist of this American backed dictator.
Macwhite then flies off the handle accusing Deong of being a communist and insists that the road will be built. This is the crux of the whole film This one misunderstanding leads to many more misjudgements on MacWhite's part that leads to a Vietnam-like escalation of Civil War. All throughout the film you see MacWhite's geniunely well intended motives blow up in his face which in the end causes heartache not only to himself but to everyone in Sarkhan.
You truly see why Brando is one of the best actors of all time when you watch this movie as you watch him go about his business and utters every word with true sincerity. The film is considered uneven by many critics however I think it's a great study in character and how one's steadfast belief in certain views can lead to unintended consequences. The film also serves as a fictionalized account of what then current American Policy was leading to in Vietnam and for that, this film should be required viewing for viewers of this generation. Policies and views should not be so rigid that it leads to war and unintended consequences. People and Politicians should be able to gleam some insight from the other side because what we may view as "evil' may not be viewed that way by our enemies.
Overall I give the film *** out of 5.
The first edition of Monday Review will focus on the 1963 film The Ugly American starring Marlon Brando. Here's a plot summary from IMDB:
An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country where civil war threatens a tense peace. Despite his knowledge, once he's there, MacWhite sees only a dichotomy between the U.S. and Communism. He can't accept that anti-American sentiment might be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. So, he breaks from his friend Deong, a local opposition leader, ignores a foreman's advice about slowing the building of a road, and tries to muscle ahead. What price must the country and his friends pay for him to get some sense?
Whew! That about sums up the movie right there. Needless to say this was a VERY interesting film. It is loosely based on the book of the same title by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. The film is particular interesting because it is a precursor to what actually happened in Vietnam. It shows quite clearly the misguided and wrongheaded thinking of the "domino theory" that communism would just sweep across the world if left unchecked.
Marlon Brando gives one of his best acting performances ever in the film. The first half of the film has many great dialogue scenes that pulls the viewer into the situation and truly captures the mood and feelings of the characters. I especially liked Brando's cool, calm and collected acting in the senate confirmation hearing scene. He answered the questions with an ease and sense of humour that is disarming and quite charming.
Another great dialogue scene is MacWhite visiting his old friend Deong the evening after he and his wife are met by rioters who nearly kill them when they arrive in Sarkhan. Deong proves to be a great host and friend to MacWhite. In the end tho, Deong admits that he sent out the rioters. He tells MacWhite that he didn't mean it to go out of hand and that it is to protest the building of Freedom Road. MacWhite is visibly disturbed and leaves, only to come back later that night as the two friends start to drift apart due to political reasons.
MacWhite can't believe that Deong would be against America after all that the US has done for that country by providing food, medical supplies, and helping to build a road that would provide jobs and better economic opportunities. Deong counters this by telling MacWhite that the Sarkhanese don't want the road because they know that it'll be used for military purposes by the US and that it will only lead to problems between them and the communist controled north. MacWhite denies this but Deong demands that if the road is not for military purposes then Sarkhanese Prime Minister Kwen Sai should make it publicly known that the road is for all of Sarkhan and won't be used by the Americans. Deong also adds that Sarkhan is tired of being ruled by the iron fist of this American backed dictator.
Macwhite then flies off the handle accusing Deong of being a communist and insists that the road will be built. This is the crux of the whole film This one misunderstanding leads to many more misjudgements on MacWhite's part that leads to a Vietnam-like escalation of Civil War. All throughout the film you see MacWhite's geniunely well intended motives blow up in his face which in the end causes heartache not only to himself but to everyone in Sarkhan.
You truly see why Brando is one of the best actors of all time when you watch this movie as you watch him go about his business and utters every word with true sincerity. The film is considered uneven by many critics however I think it's a great study in character and how one's steadfast belief in certain views can lead to unintended consequences. The film also serves as a fictionalized account of what then current American Policy was leading to in Vietnam and for that, this film should be required viewing for viewers of this generation. Policies and views should not be so rigid that it leads to war and unintended consequences. People and Politicians should be able to gleam some insight from the other side because what we may view as "evil' may not be viewed that way by our enemies.
Overall I give the film *** out of 5.
# posted by Chris Fung @ 3:31 PM 
