Differences In Joseph L. Mankiewicz's The Quiet American

Of crucial importance is the different attitudes between Nguyen and Quang has towards the Vietnam War. Nguyen represents the traditional view that the Vietnam War was a failure on the part of the Americans, a mistake and pointless war that ruined the lives of many. What is surprising is Quang’s view. With an immediate and loud retort to Nguyen’s negative feelings towards the Vietnam war, Seol’s portrayal of Quang immediately grabs the audience’s attention. Quang is grateful for the Vietnam war, and “thankful for the American soldiers that gave up their lives so [he] could live.” Actor Seol aptly captures the spirit and sentiments of an actual Vietnamese refugee, and in doing so provides a refreshing and different perspective about the Vietnam War. Faced with these differing perspectives, the audience must come to realize that America is not a monolith, but instead composed of people from many different backgrounds with varying experiences, attitudes, thoughts, and

Since the late 1940s, American cinema has been obsessed with the idea of the atomic bomb and what it stands for; whether that be destruction or absolute power depends on the film. This symbolism would then come to define the 1950s, and later on American cinema as well. This symbolism then must be addressed from the lenses of, both, history and socio-political commentary. Then the question must be posed why specifically these two lenses? The answer to this question, then, lies in the films of the 50s, and beyond. Whether this answer lies in the apocalyptic imagination present in the films or the politics of the time, McCarthyism would influence American culture far beyond the 50s, depends on the historian who is asked. The answer, then,

Vietnam was an entirely new type of war for the United States. It still remains morally and historically problematic in today’s society. The Vietnam War had a tremendous impact on American society and culture, primarily because it was the first war to be televised. The American press played a significant

The book The Ugly American clearly demonstrates several of the established Special Operations Force (SOF) imperatives outlined in ADRP 6-22. As a Special Forces soldier I can relate these imperatives to stories illustrated in the book and apply them to real life situations that I have experienced in the field. The Ugly American is a goldmine of wisdom and a handbook for special warfare. All Special Operations soldiers should read it.

the depression and the Vietnam conflict changed the way of thinking of the American people.

Moreover, the war persuades both the Vietnamese and Americans that fighting has no productivity. The local Vietnamese explain they do not want Freedom Road because it will bring the Cold War to Vietnam (Ugly American, The). Having both perspectives allowed the director to influence his viewers using two concepts. Even Deong rallies against the Americans as the movie continues toward its inevitable conclusion. He willingly allows the communist protesters to attack MacWhite to try to stall America’s imperialist efforts (Ugly American, The). It appears that nearly every person tried to condemn the Vietnam War as a burden on everyone. The Ugly American differs from The Green Berets because it criticizes the Vietnam War rather than sympathizing with it.

Edited by Bernard Edelman, “Dear America” is a collection of letters written by soldiers during the Vietnam War. Their letters are written to love ones back home such as parents, siblings, and spouses but they are a great depiction of the Vietnam War. The soldiers would write these letters to help keep hope alive and to keep sane. Throughout the book the letters are categorize into those who are barely arriving into the war to those who have been there a long time. The stress and anxiety grows more and more as the letters continue and the soldiers begin to contemplate their situation. I’ve learned a lot of factual things about the Vietnam War throughout my life such as how it began and what the outcome was but reading this book was the

Setting is also important, as it refers to the period this book was set in, the 1950’s. Ultimately, it is a reflection of what was happening in American society at the time, and what American society expected from each other. McCarthyism, as started by Senator Joseph McCarthy, was the most prevalent movement of the 1950’s, where there was great momentum for anti-communism and the suppression of the Anti-communist party. Freedom of speech was suppressed, just like speech and actions were inside the hospital. Here, the

Unlike Pyle who forces his idea on the Vietnamese, Fowler (understands the Vietnameses want peace) more than anything else. After seeing the girls in the House of Five Hundreds Girls, Pyle reflects, “You know, I think it was seeing all those girls in that house. They were so pretty. Why, she might have been one of them. I wanted to protect her”(Greene 49). Pyle selfishly believes he is protecting Phuong by loving her without even asking whether she want to be protected. It is just like the U.S. in Vietnam War, where U.S. think they are doing Vietnam a big favor by saving them from the evil communists when in reality, Vietnamese people value independent more than that. Although Pyle finds it really hard to grasp the view of the Vietnamese, Fowler,

The U.S. then terrified and threatened by communistic spread denounced many men and women in the government and throughout hollywood as having communist affiliations striking fear and paranoia into the public. In the movie we see this paranoia

The question of whether paranoia and fear were the prevailing mood in America after 1945 is not one that can be answered in a black-or-white approach. We, as students of the present world, are fortunate enough to be able to take on a zoomed-out perspective on this issue; but the same could not be done by Americans who lived through the beginning of the Atomic Age. They had far too little knowledge about an issue that had such overreaching implications; and whatever little knowledge they had were mostly incomplete or distorted. A recurring theme of the film was the mismatch between what the Americans were told by the government, and the actual gravity of the situation. The movie highlights these two extremes by alternating between scenes that

In the middle of Americans fighting for domestic equality, the country found itself in the middle of a war, far away in Vietnam. A war fought over idealism and who between the Soviet Union and the united states had the upper hand. In those days, men

The stunning film, Good Morning, Vietnam, starring Robin Williams does an incredible job encompassing the atmosphere Vietnam War. It begins in 1965 when radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer is sent to Vietnam to broadcast events on the Armed Forces Radio Service. It takes place in Saigon and includes compelling shots of the geographical features of Vietnam; jungles, cities and beaches. Cronauer begins every report with the notorious "Gooood morning, Vietnam!" and continues will jokes and upbeat music to make troops all over the country smile. He infuriates his superiors by playing unapproved music and reporting unofficial news. He befriends a local boy, Tuan, in the English class he teaches to an eager group of Vietnamese citizens. Throughout the film viewers fall in love with Tuan and feel utmost empathy for him until it is revealed that he is a Viet Cong. In the climax of the story Cronauer confronts Tuan and yells "I gave you my friendship. My trust. And now they tell me that my best friend is the goddamn enemy!" to which Tuan responds with "Enemy?! What is enemy?! You killing my people miles away from your home. We not the enemy. You the enemy." This encompasses the controversy over Americas involvement in Vietnam and goes straight to the viewers heart.

The end of the novel best shows us the moral dilemma between right vs. right. When the captain is locked up in the camp is the part of the novel that best shows us the moral dilemma between right vs. right because the narrator began to contemplate about how both communism and capitalism are right in their own ways, and forcing him to choose one over the other is difficult. • Nguyen is able to “de-Americanize the portrayal of the war” by not showing Americans as the heroes of the war. But rather showing them as losers due to the fact that they promised to save South Vietnam from the spread of communism but couldn’t do so. • “Who was the military mastermind who squeezed out Frequent Wind from behind his tightly clenched buttocks?”

Since 1968, there have been at least 25 films made that portray the events of the Vietnam War. Historians have to ask themselves when watching these films, "Did the fictional character represent historical figures accurately? Is this how a soldier would react in this situation?" The point of view of the director of the film can change with simple alterations in camera angles. For example, a view from the ground of a battle seen can show how the innocent people had the war in their own backyards. The view from a helicopter can show Viet Cong firing rounds at American troops and the troops can't tell the difference between the innocent and the enemy. The audience feels empathy and sympathy for the person from whose point of view the