Did Cain have Fraser killed?
So he could get the girl back?
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MovieChat Forums > The Quiet American (2003) Discussion > Did Cain have Fraser killed?
In the 2002 Noyce version of the movie Fowler is pretty clearly motivated by the visceral horror he witnesses when the bomb explodes in the square. Capitalizing on this his assistant, (who would be Dominguez in the book but is a Vietnamese here,) steps forward to reveal he is a Communist sympathizer and recruits Caine to set up Pyle (Brendan Fraser) for assassination. So, all in all, I'd have to say no. But the book is FAR more ambiguous with Fowler protesting a bit too much that it wasn't done for the girl. I'd say he has both political and romantic motives in the novel.
shareI think the movie is also a bit ambiguous as to Fowler's motives. We are shown his horror but we also see him get his girl back and yet try to apologize to her. I don't know if that was in the book (it's been a while since I read it, I'm a big GG fan btw) but it seems there were aspects of sexual jealousy in his decision. It's usually what is unsaid that is important, rather than what is explicitly articulated, or shown.
shareIt's a mix of both, but Fowler's predominant motivation seems to be his jealousy over losing Phong, which is in keeping with his cynical character throughout the film (and novel). The political justification is more a pretext he seizes on to assuage his conscience.
shareIt seemed to me he wavered up until the conversation in his flat where Fraser was giving the justifications for what he had done in setting up the bombing, and indicating he (the US) would continue to do whatever they could to stop communism. Cain wasn't able to dissuade him and so he was trying to stop him. He wasn't told Fraser would be killed, but that "as gentle means as possible" would be used. The ambivalence he felt was still evident that night at the restaurant as he watched Fraser being waylaid on the bridge.
shareNothing ambivalent about it. As someone pointed out, this is about what is not said, rather than something that is overtly explained. "As gentle as possible" is simply a cover to make sure that Pyle was put into a position where they would have no alternative but to kill him. Same applied to the original book but overall, the film lacks the stridency of Graham Greene's writing.
Another thing is that the killers are not necessarily communists or communist sympathisers, though it is implied through Dominguez's connections.
I don't really understand this part of the plot myself. It doesn't make any sense that the communists would depend on Fowler's permission to assassinate Pyle.
shareAfter Fowler said that "anyone can speak to him", Hinh replies "it's not so easy. He is followed by protectors. But if you asked to speak with him, he would come alone".
"To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency. To forgive them is cruelty."
-Robespierre
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No, it clearly is because he is behind the killing of innocent people, first at Phat Diem and then in two incidents in Saigon, and, in the novel, he says there will be more such incidents. It's only after that that he considers killing him.
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