it be difficult to watch this film and not read fairly obvious political implication into almost everything that happen . but what be most striking be the role of terrorism at the heart of the story . all of the character revolve in orbit around vietnamese event that keep popping or should i say and blow up in the most unexpected place . and nothing be ever really resolve . not even the crime at the center of the story . to read each character a a political paradigm be almost too easy and and if the film have a major flaw and it be that the character be a bit too starkly drawn a represent their nationality and not unique personality . the american and who isn not very quiet at all and by the way and be brash and forward . he be the new kid who blunder around and intrude on murky relationship with the naiveté of the guileless and the lone ranger completely out of his element . audie murphy do a fine job portray him and the lack of subtlety in his acting style perfectly complement his character . michael redgrave be wordy and unctuous a the british journalist and fowler and who be have an affair with a beautiful but ultimately vacuous vietnamese girl and phuong ( giorgia moll ) . he be duplicitous and double dealing and but also naive in his own way . clearly wear out and try to save something permanent from the wreckage of his time in vietnam and fowler keep grasp for happiness without ever understand that can never happen . the main difference between fowler and the american be that fowler have longstanding tie to people and place in saigon . he have come a close to go native a he can without lose his identity completely . the energetic american have no such tie and but eagerly seek to rupture the old world tie and make them his own . obviously and this set up conflict that can not be resolve amicably . the old world vs. the new and battle to dominate a country that itself be begin to find dominance disturb . in essence and all three party have an agenda and and only one can fulfill it . the old world fowler lie to everyone and even to himself and to keep thing a they be . the status quo be important to him because he realize that the inevitable change he be deny will not be to his advantage . the american and on the other hand and be painfully honest in a charismatic but ultimately empty way . a fowler remark and it would be good for the american if he have a few fault of his own and then he might understand others well . which be a very charitable view of the american . fowler at least understands himself and his depravity and whereas the american just seem to understand empty concept like self determination and national longing without any hint of introspection or where those fine word ultimately must lead . the film be talky and and if you be not engage by fowler various moral dilemma and conflict and it can get tedious . the scene of saigon be the film best part and it be quite incredible to see how advanced and almost elegant saigon be before the american involvement and communist takeover . too bad the film be not shoot in color . very civilized setting be ravage by terrorist bomb and which may have seem novel and exotic in the 1950s and but unfortunately seem quite common now . the story itself be incredibly far sight . terrorism be a modern concept and and think that it practitioner always lose in the end be as naive a the american think they can pick a winner in vietnam . fowler and while full of profundity and fancy word and be use by the communist to get out the story they want know . he dutifully complies and the perfect tool and without hinder their activity in the slight . meanwhile and his world collapse and he lose everything he have in the city . the american loses and too and but in quite a different way . but you know that others like him will be back . who win . well and the answer to that should be obvious . worth see at least once . not and a some claim and graham greene best work and but still a fine meditation on southeast asian event before they actually occur by someone who understand .