Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

The Ugly American Blu-ray Movie Review

"Your democracy is a fraud. It’s fair to white people only..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 13, 2023

The Ugly American will be interesting to modern moviegoers for two chief reasons: its prescience (which is almost entirely owed to the 1958 pre-Vietnam Conflict novel upon which it was based) and its hot-on-the-heels performance from just-then-anointed A-list sensation, Marlon Brando. Beyond that, there isn't much to the slow, heightened diplomatic chit chat that dominates large swaths of this less than thrilling political thriller. It's preachy and plodding, a damaging trait despite being steps ahead of the unfolding mayhem in 1960s Vietnam, and it suffers the further you pull back from the more compelling performances of Brando, Japanese actor Eiji Okada and their Southeast Asian co-stars. The very Caucasian white members of the cast are swinging for the dramatic fences with broad, almost parody-esque performances that, for those familiar, trace back to a specific style of silver age acting that has long since been left in the past. The Ugly American isn't a bad film by any means, just an antiquated curiosity that was far more thought-provoking in its day than it is in the 21st century.

Official Synopsis: In this volatile political thriller based on the critically acclaimed, best-selling Eugene Burdick and William Lederer book of the same name, compassionate American ambassador Harrison MacWhite (Marlon Brando) is assigned to the fictional strife-torn Southeast Asian nation of Sarkhan. He views the political situation only in the simplest terms: as a struggle between communism and democracy. However, when MacWhite tries to keep the Communists in the north from overrunning the weakened democracy in the south by making sure a vital road into the country's inaccessible interior goes through, he finds that he's met with suspicion, hate and surprising obstacles even by an influential freedom fighter (Eiji Okada) suspected of being a Communist agent. Directed by George Englund from a screenplay by Stewart Stern, the film also stars Sandra Church, Pat Hingle, Arthur Hill, Kukrit Pramjoj, Reiko Sato, Judson Pratt, George Shibata, Philip Ober, Judson Laire, Frances Helm, Carl Benton Reid and Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando's older sister).

Riding high on his '50s and early '60s successes, Brando is beginning to develop the look he became famous for; that squinty browed, pursed-lips confidence that, on any other actor, might be mistaken for smugness. His voice pinched in a near-Corleone cadence and his hands slowly gesturing with deliberate thought, his performance is more measured than his US and European co-stars. Only the Asian cast brings more passion and believability to the screen. And for very good reason. The Ugly American plays like a movie written and shot after the events of Vietnam had come to fruition. But it was released in 1963, putting it ahead of much that transpired in and after the notoriously maligned Conflict. The film would no doubt feel manufactured and trite if it had been produced in the mid to late '70s, but here, its eerie glimpse into a future of mid and post- Cold War political landmines is fascinating (at least it will be for students of both history and film). Brando is well-versed and, in retrospect, it probably didn't take a future teller to predict where things in Vietnam and the surrounding regions were headed. Perhaps in 1958, when the novel debuted, but less so in 1963, when the filmmakers had another five years of mounting chaos to draw from.

More striking to me was the movie's April 1963 release. If 1963 rings a particular bell it's because the end of '63 would see the assassination of JFK shake the world and either alter or accelerate -- depending on the political perspective you examine -- US domestic and particularly foreign policy. The Ugly American isn't that prescient but it does imagine a number of scenarios that, in its fictional alternate history, barrels toward similar outcomes. The film also deserves credit for the turn it takes midway, as the Sarkhan people and their country's upheaval earns relatively serious attention from the filmmakers. (I suspect at Brando's prodding.) While much of The Ugly American was shot in Hollywood, Brando willingly, maybe forcefully, slips into the back of the vehicle as footage filmed in Thailand slides into the driver's seat, offering a series of convincing scenes involving extras who are very real, very armed Southeast Asian revolutionaries. Brando was a lot of things -- later decades would see him drift too far off the beaten path, losing connection with the everyman (or sanity as some have said) -- but 1963 marks a year in which the actor was throwing around his weight and using his name and star power to push projects beyond his face and marquee name, and The Ugly American's third act certainly benefits in that regard.

And that brings us back to the original problem I mentioned: The Ugly American gets too preachy, something that's even more noticeable because prior to its sermonizing and the moral and political 180 of MacWhite, the film is far too dull for its own good, and sometimes even resembles, of all things, old episodes of 1950s studio lot westerns. (If you aren't already grinning and nodding in understanding, you'll know the exact aesthetic I'm referring to when you see it.) Long, tiresome scenes of diplomats and politicians waxing poetic are not the stuff of exciting cinema and Stern and Englund don't seem to notice, or care. The lack of a more harrowing boots-on-the-ground subplot undercuts the thriller aspects of the decidedly stately genre pic. Brando can only do so much and the film's climax and falling action are rushed and border on afterthought, as if the filmmakers didn't quite know how to wrap things up. All told, I keep coming back to a word I already used: curiosity. The Ugly American is an early '60s curiosity that many will enjoy on its merits alone. Just don't expect the kind of classic political thriller the novel's reputation and historical significance suggest will be true of the movie.

The Ugly American Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mill Creek Entertainment's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer has been minted from a dated master; one that's quite soft and lacks the crispness and clarity of properly restored and remastered 1960s films. It's difficult to find many remarkably refined shots in The Ugly American (see my screenshots to understand exactly how pervasive the softness is) but other movies have had similar presentations on DVD and early Blu-ray releases, so this by no means should suggest that the film is beyond restorative repair. That's also not to say that the image doesn't have its positive qualities. Color and contrast are quite natural and pleasing, with solid primary pop (communist reds are especially vivid), mostly convincing skintones (barring some instances of hot, flushed faces), and black levels are reasonably deep. Detail even reveals a good bit more than is visible or adequately resolved on DVD, meaning it's safe to ignore any accusations that this Blu-ray "doesn't look any better than a DVD". It does, but I can understand why a casual viewing would lead to that impression, particularly on a sub-65-inch display (a rather random number but you get my drift). I also spotted a handful of instances of macroblocking sneaking into more cluttered or chaotic backgrounds when the film moves to Thailand locales, as well as some inconsistencies in the grain field that leads to some chunkier, more unsightly moments. All told, The Ugly American could look better but it could look a whole lot worse.

The Ugly American Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Ugly American features a simple, source-faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix. Voices are clean and intelligible, without exception, and prioritization is spot on. Third act scenes in which things grow more frenzied fare well too, with some believable crowd noise and shouts of democratic aspirations. The lack of LFE support isn't missed all that much -- this is a talkative affair, with many a conversation held in stuffy offices or conference rooms -- but I would have liked to hear how immersive the last hour of the film might have been had it been granted a 5.1 surround mix.

The Ugly American Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of The Ugly American doesn't serve up any special features, although the film's theatrical trailer is included. I know these things require a budget to produce, but come on. Sit two literary and film historians down to discuss the original 1958 novel and its 1963 screen adaptation. How expensive could it be to hire two historians for a few hours, an editor to cut in some film footage and graphics, and drop it on a disc?

The Ugly American Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Ugly American is an interesting 1960s wartime thriller, though it certainly could use some more thrills. Brando's performance works well, as do those of his Southeast Asian co-stars, but much of the rest of the film is plodding political melodrama. Mill Creek's Blu-ray is at least a bit better than many of the studio's subpar releases, with a decent video presentation and a solid DTS-HD lossless 2.0 mix. I do wish there were more special features to be had, especially considering the book's importance in the era, but this is presumably the best we'll get. And that applies to the AV presentation as well. The Ugly American isn't exactly a film of the pedigree that draws the attention of Criterion or other studios willing to spend money on proper restorative efforts.