The Ugly American, starring Marlon Brando and directed by George Englund, was released in 1963 and has since gathered a reputation among many critics as “the most intelligent and prescient Hollywood film of the Vietnam genre.” Cinè will screen a restored print of the film at 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. March 19. Tickets are $6 for the matinee and $8 for the evening shows. Between the 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. screenings, Englund will be on hand to discuss the making of the film.
Movie critic William Arnold said, “When The Ugly American was released in 1963, it was pretty much of a flop. It was very political, the movie public was not particularly interested in its subject matter—U.S. policy in Southeast Asia—and the critics had recently turned on Brando. But over the past 40 years, the film has stayed alive on television and video, it has gathered a cult of admirers.”
According to David Saltz, head of UGA’s department of theatre and film studies, “The Ugly American has become remarkably relevant again today. The film’s depiction of America’s role in Southeast Asia in the 1960s is startlingly reminiscent of our current military adventures in the Middle East.”
Englund has had a long and varied career in Hollywood as director, writer and producer. He was most recently involved in the “mammoth, epic-length” documentary Brando, the film festival hit that provides an in-depth look into the life and career of Englund’s long-time business partner. He also wrote and directed Cloris, a one-woman show about actress Cloris Leachman, which will be performed March 22 in UGA’s Ramsey Concert Hall.
Englund also will give a lecture, open to the public, on March 21 at 12:20 p.m. in Room 53 of the Fine Arts Building, which is located on the corner of Baldwin and Lumpkin streets.