Marlon Brando stars in this volatile political thriller based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel about the consequences of American imperialism in Asia.

Brando plays a compassionate American ambassador to the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation of Sarkhan who attempts to protect the weakened democracy from the hostile Communist north by building a vital road into the country's interior. But "The Ugly American" is met with suspicion and hatred by the locals, including an influential freedom fighter now suspected of being a Communist agent.

A tense cold war thriller full of danger and intrigue, Brando's understated, mesmerizing performance as a smart, stubborn American who soon realizes the devastating consequences of his arrogance, ranks among his best. Highly controversial, filming in Thailand was okayed only after intervention from President John F. Kennedy, a powerful believer in a story that remains all too real today.