The Ugly American movie storyline. 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?
The Ugly American is a 1963 American adventure film directed by George Englund, written by Stewart Stern, and starring Marlon Brando, Sandra Church, Eiji Okada, Pat Hingle, Judson Pratt and Arthur Hill. It is based on the 1958 novel The Ugly American by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. The film was released on April 2, 1963, by Universal Pictures.
Film Review for The Ugly American
Some of the ambiguities, hypocrisies and perplexities of cold war politics are observed, dramatized and, to a degree, analyzed in The Ugly American. It is a thought-provoking but uneven screen translation taken from, but not in a literal sense based upon, the popular novel by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick.
Focal figure of the story is an American ambassador (Marlon Brando) to a Southeast Asian nation who, after jumping to conclusions in the course of dealing with an uprising of the natives of that country against the existing regime and what they interpret as Yankee imperialism comes to understand that there is more to modern political revolution than meets the casual or jaundiced bystander’s eye. As a result of his experience, he senses that Americans ‘can’t hope to win the cold war unless we remember what we’re for as well as what we’re against’.
Although skillfully and often explosively directed by George Englund and well played by Brando and others in the cast, the film tends to be overly talkative and lethargic in certain areas, vague and confusing in others. Probably the most jarring single flaw is the failure to clarify the exact nature of events during the ultimate upheaval.
Brando’s performance is a towering one; restrained, intelligent and always masculine. Japanese actor Eiji Okada of Hiroshima, mon amour renown, makes a strong impression. Mass riot scene near the outset of the picture is frighteningly realistic. Art direction is outstanding, with a convincing replica of a Southeast Asian village on the Universal backlot.
Highly controversial, filming in Thailand was okayed only after intervention from President John F. Kennedy. Kukrit Pramoj, who plays Kwen Sai, the prime minister of fictional Sarkhan and served as the film’s technical consultant, later went on to become Thailand’s real-life premier. These bits of trivia provide some additional context for this cold war drama (set in 1960) in which Marlon Brando plays the ugly American of the title, as Ambassador MacWhite to Sarkhan – a fictional country that could pass for any one of a number of real Asian nations.
It’s been 15 years since MacWhite was last in Sarkhan, and his old friend Deong (Eiji Okada) was and is an influential figure. But now, to MacWhite’s bitter disappointment, Deong seems to have shifted his political stance and resents what he sees as America’s imperialist moves. MacWhite sees things differently; he sees America helping to keep Communism out of Sarkhan … The themes of American foreign policy in Asia are crucial to the plot, but since the film is meant to be mass entertainment, the detail is less than comprehensive and the result is a political thriller in an exotic setting. And with honourable intent. It’s relevance is ongoing.
Brando is excellent, as is Okada (notwithstanding his Japanese ethnicity) as the two old friends find themselves on opposing political sides – both right, both wrong. Also notable is Sandra Church as Mrs MacWhite, and the entire supporting cast.
The Ugly American (1963)
Directed by: George Englund
Starring: Marlon Brando, Eiji Okada, Sandra Church, Pat Hingle, Arthur Hill, Jocelyn Brando, Kukrit Pramoj, Judson Pratt, Reiko Sato, George Shibata, Judson Laire, Philip Ober
Screenplay by: Stewart Stern
Production Design by: Marshall Green
Cinematography by: Clifford Stine
Film Editing by: Ted J. Kent
Costume Design by: Rosemary Odell
Set Decoration by: Oliver Emert
Art Direction by: Alexander Golitzen, Alfred Sweeney
Music by: Frank Skinner
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 2, 1963
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