In a time of turmoil one man must make a stand.

Marlon Brando stars in this volatile political thriller based on the critically acclaimed best-selling book. As a compassionate American ambassador to the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation of Sarkhan, Brandon 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. But, from his very arrival, The Ugly American is met with suspicion and hate even by an influential freedom fighter now suspected of being a Communist agent. Intrigue and danger surround Brando and co-stars Pat Hingle, Arthur Hill and Sandra Church, in this tense story of Cold War politics that remains all too real today.