The Sand Pebbles

Rating:
Summary: Sand Pebbles: Two Wars in One
Review: When THE SAND PEBBLES was released in 1966, it was hailed as a terrific war movie for the usual reasons: strong character development, believable dialogue, horrific battle scenes, and a strong sense of good versus evil. Unknown to the general public was director Robert Wise's unerring eye for what was going on in the rest on SouthEast Asia. The action of the movie takes place in China in 1926. That decade saw a cleaving of China into many chunks, with each chunk contested by a warlord. And out of all of them Chang Kai Chek was the most powerful.

Steve McQueen is Jake Holman, a sailor on a US Navy vessel trapped in the Yangtsee River. He loves his engines almost as much as he loves his girlfriend, played by Candace Bergen. Theirs is a love story that cannot have a happy ending. She is a missionary whose father blames the United States for unrest in the area surrounding his mission house. His antipathy towards Jake combined with her unwillingness to cross her father ensures that their romance cannot be. Paralleling Jake's romance is a similarly doomed affair between his best friend Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) and a local prostitute. The gap in culture between east and west proves debilitating for both couples. THE SAND PEBBLES is not simply a war film with a pair of Hollywood romances tacked on. It is also a tale of male bonding between Jake and his captain (Richard Crenna) who tries to balance a stern sense of military leadership against a growing realization that a failed American policy regarding the stability of Chang Kai Chek's government renders moot any attempt on his part to pacify hostility between his crew and nearly all the Chinese with whom they come in contact. Adding to the brew of disaster is the mistaken belief by many of the crew that Jake is some sort of albatross who ought to be turned over to the Chinese authorities who blame him for the death of Frenchy's wife.

Now fast forward some 40 years from 1926. America is engaged in struggle in Vietnam, a country rent by local power squabbles and a growing threat from the Communist north. The destruction of the formerly stable Chinese culture of 1926 is prefigured by the similar dissolution of a Vietnamese culture with cheap saloons and brothels as the central metaphor. Midway through the movie, Jake sees a vicious yet all too common brothel scene in which Frenchy's girl is auctioned off to the highest bidder. It is impossible to view this scene without recognizing that many such scenes were duplicated in countless Saigon honkytonks.

THE SAND PEBBLES truly is a magnificent film. It recreates the aura of a time when America tried to flex its muscles in foreign ports with predictable and disastrous results. On a purely cinematic level, you can feel the angst of both Westerners who cry out "What the hell happened" and Easterners who reply "Leave us alone." On a metaphorical level, THE SAND PEBBLES unites Jake's closing question with a Chinese desire for non-interference to produce a film that resonates with the eternal struggle between well-intentioned colonialism with the colonials' right to settle disputes with autonomy.

Rating:
Summary: McQueen's Greatest Performance
Review: Steve McQueen was known for many things-- action films, fast cars, motorcycles, a charismatic presence (on screen and off), and his true "tough guy" persona. But with this film, another description moves to the top of that list: Actor. Anyone who doubts what a great actor McQueen was need only watch this film, because his performance here as Jake Holman is simply as good as it gets. "The Sand Pebbles, " directed by Robert Wise, is the story of Holman, a sailor assigned to the U.S. Gunboat, "San Pablo," stationed on the Yangtze River in China in 1926 (the sailors aboard are known as "sand pebbles"). It's primary function is to patrol the river and thereby establish an American presence in China, a country currently experiencing a period of political unrest and impending upheaval. It's a new assignment for Holman, and it suits him just fine; his job is to keep the ship's engines up and running, and because of the size of the ship, he's the only engineer-- it's just Jake and his engine. And that's the way he likes it. Holman is a loner by nature, and something of an iconoclast. At one point, when he is asked his opinion of American Foreign Policy and their presence in China, he simply says, "I don't mess with it. It's all look-see-pidgin, somethin' for the officers."

Eventually, however, Holman is nevertheless drawn into the conflict through a series of events that impact him beyond all personal resistance, the most significant being when American lives are threatened throughout China, and Holman and a landing party are sent ashore to protect and escort some missionaries back to the safety of the San Pablo. But at the mission, Holman discovers a way of life, the likes of which he's never known, and for the first time ever, he realizes a sense of belonging. And he likes it. For Holman, however, it may be too late; the political turmoil throughout the country has put the lives of everyone at the mission in peril, including a young missionary named Shirley Eckert (Candice Bergen), with whom Holman has made a connection he simply cannot dispel; for in Shirley, he discerns an innocence and a goodness that compels him, and in which he finds a welcome sense of fulfillment. So what began as a routine mission becomes a salient point in Holman's life, and he is faced with the most important decision he's ever had to make.

This is the one for which McQueen should have won an Oscar. As Holman, he demonstrates an emotional range and depth that runs the gamut from almost boyish naivete to a world weary veteran of life who has seen and heard it all. Utterly convincing, he can say more with a slight incline of his head, a slow blink or shifting of his eyes than most actors could say with reams of dialogue at their disposal. He communicates with so much more than words, and there's meaning in everything he says and does-- he never wastes a line or a single moment. What he does with this role is magnificent; it's the definitive McQueen performance. His Holman is the personification of the loner, and in creating him he delivers something few actors could ever equal: He's tough, convincing and charming-- all at the same time. And he should've taken home The Statue for it.

As Collins, the Captain of the San Pablo, Richard Crenna gives one of his finest performances, as well, and it cemented his transition from television actor to a career on the big screen. After this, there was no going back. His portrayal of the somber, introspective Captain is riveting, and in him you readily perceive Collins' sense of duty and honor, as well as his overwhelming sense of futility and failure. And the urgency with which he grasps his chance for redemption, even in the face of insurmountable odds, is entirely believable as it is consistent with the character he has created.

The superlative supporting cast includes Richard Attenborough (Frenchy), Emmanuelle Arsan (Maily), Mako (Po-han), Larry Gates (Jameson), Charles Robinson (Bordelles), Simon Oakland (Stawski), Ford Rainey (Harris), Joe Turkel (Bronson) and Gavin MacLeod (Crosley). A powerful drama, extremely well crafted and presented by Wise, "The Sand Pebbles" is a great and memorable film that will forever stand as the pinnacle of McQueen's successful career. Jake Holman is a character you will never forget, because there is something of him-- that wistful longing to belong, perhaps-- in all of us. A timeless classic among classics, this is one of the greatest motion pictures of all time, and is by definition, the magic of the movies.

Rating:
Summary: "Damn your flag, damn all flags!"
Review: Steve McQueen is the classic American loner, as one observer puts it, "As long as he obeys orders the Navy takes care of him, its a life that appeals to a certain kind of man." It is not so much the Navy that appeals to McQueen's character, Jake Holman, as it is the solitude of the ships engine room, where he is the master and commander. Upon arrival on his new ship, the San Paulo, nicknamed the "Sand Pebble", Holman is in for a surprise. In keeping with the traditions of the 1920's South China Seas US Navy, locals have been brought aboard to do all the work, including in the engine room (South China Sea vets say all with this film is accurate save that key point, the engine room would have been off limits in most cases). The world is changing in many ways. Jake tries to keep his personal world from crashing by helping a fellow sailor who has fallen for a local girl, even though he should know better, and by trying to resist his own temptations to a fresh faced young missionary in the person of Candace Bergen. Richard Crenna is excellent as a prima donna Captain who sees Holman as a threat to his system even before he comes aboard. The political world is also in flux. With the Russian Civil War at an end, revolution is spreading to China as Communists and Nationalists both try to wrest China out of the grip of warlords and foreign powers. The acting by even the most bit players is believable in every nuance and there are simply too many stand-out performances to mention, from Simon Oakland's bullying ship-board nemisis to McQueen to Larry Gates as a frustratingly idealistic missionary. From Action to Romance this movie hits the bullseye every time.

This is simply a classic of movie-making regardless of genre, era, or actors. It is top-notch in every respect. Thank goodness for wide-screen DVD, the ONLY way to watch this film. Nowhere is the non wide-screen, "pan and scan" technique more strongly indicted than in "The Sand Pebbles", I've sat through numerous viewings in that format where characters engaged in conversations can't even be seen! Widescreen DVD is the only way to go on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Serious and Genuine
Review: Steve McQueen, in one of his best performances, plays Jake Holman, an independent, outspoken, and proudly misfitting sailor with great engineering skills, who is assigned to the American Navy gunboat San Pablo, patrolling the Yangtzee River on the eve of the Chinese revolution. The Communists actively oppose the American presence, and Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalists give a cold welcome, at best. All parties are fighting for power. Meanwhile, Holman falls in love with a young teacher, played in a surprisingly low-key way by Candice Bergen. Holman runs against the grain of the hierarchy amongst the Chinese laborers and trains a young man, played by Mako, as an assistant. Holman also butts heads with his inexperienced, spit-and-polish, by-the-book captain, played superbly by Richard Crenna.

This is an anti-war movie that does not shout at you. With its intertwining plots, repeated tragedies, and epic scope, it leaves you wondering why America was there, what was the goal, and what was the effect. This is a quietly intense, slow-paced drama loaded with meaning. It is not for the impatient viewer, nor for the faint-of-heart. It is worth owning and watching closely.

Rating:
Summary: THE SAND PEBBLES AND ME
Review: The first time I watched The Sand Pebbles it was on a premium cable station between channel flipping. I never really gave the movie much thought because I was under the impression that it was just a B-rated romance. Wow I was totally mistaken. Being a war movie buff, I have seen many of the great war films and The Sand Pebbles stands up there as one of the finest. From the very beginning the action draws the viewer into the intrigue of a navy vessel caught on the Yangtse River in China during the middle 1920s. Steve McQueen is suberb as Holman the chief engineer of the San Pablo. His portrayal of a veteren seaman who has lost his humanity and wins it back through the love of a missonary, played by Candance Bergen, is incredibly moving. Director Robert Wise also enlists great performances from Richard Crenna, Richard Attenborough and Mako. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in the history of China and the United States. The Sand Pebbles brings this history vividly to life. I also highly recommend the video, which I rented shortly after watching it on cable. This movie prompts multi-viewing to fully enjoy the high drama.

Rating:
Summary: An Instant Classic
Review: Though it borrows greatly from Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," this tense Steve McQueen vehicle pulls few punches in delivering its timely message about the futility of imperialism and war without purpose. The action star gives a brilliant performance as Jake Holman, an American ex-patriate assigned to an all-but-forgotten gunboat patrolling the Yangtze River in the early 1900s. Holman's desire to do right--including treating the Chinese coolies aboard as human beings, rather than latter-day slaves, and helping a good-natured friend (Richard Attenborough) realize his romance for an abused Chinese woman--clashes with the misdirected and often selfish sensibilities of those around him, especially his prideful but immasculated commanding officer (Richard Crenna), leading to a series of tragedies that Holman is powerless to avert. Director Robert Wise, whose films range from brilliant to lackluster, is in top form here, giving "The Sand Pebbles" a sense of David Lean-esque largesse without ever losing sight of the characters, even in the heat of battle. Jerry Goldsmith's score will stay with you long after the final credits roll. Even with the film's plot about factions in an Asian country opposing foreign attempts to control it a thinly veiled allegory to Viet Nam, "The Sand Pebbles" never devolves into an Americans-good/Chinese-bad melodrama; like real life, it is often subtle, complex, exhilerating, tragic, and haunting.

Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic of the time of Old China's awakening.
Review: This film, along with The Great Escape, established Steve McQueen as a major star, but it is much more than a vehicle for McQueen. This is a wonderful story of the intersection between Western culture and Old China, in the period when China was seeking to emerge as a modern nation.

This is the story of one Jake Holman, a sailor in the American gunboat navy in China. The Navy's mission is to protect American/Western missionaries, businessmen, their lives and property. Holman serves on the USS San Pablo, known to her crew as the "Sand Pebble." Holman has a passion for engines, and sought to serve on the Sand Pebble on the notion that his engineering expertise would make him valuable and autonomous aboard. Instead, he learns that each American sailor has a Chinese servant who actually performs all of that sailor's routine duties. Holman is thus effectively prevented from performing his engineering role. Nor are the Chinese, untrained in engineering and acting by wrote, able to safely handle the ship's power plant. An undercurrent to the story is Holman's struggle to get control of the management of the ship's antiquated but essential engines.

Holman's struggles to establish his place on the ship take place against the panorama of a China seeking to throw off foreign domination and become a modern nation-state. This is the larger story, effectively presented in this excellent film.

This film is a reasonably faithful adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name. The cinamatography is superb, and the DVD appears to be a pretty good transfer from the original film. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: "Damn your flag, damn all flags!"
Review: Steve McQueen is the classic American loner, as one observer puts it, "As long as he obeys orders the Navy takes care of him, its a life that appeals to a certain kind of man." It is not so much the Navy that appeals to McQueen's character, Jake Holman, as it is the solitude of the ships engine room, where he is the master and commander. Upon arrival on his new ship, the San Paulo, nicknamed the "Sand Pebble", Holman is in for a surprise. In keeping with the traditions of the 1920's South China Seas US Navy, locals have been brought aboard to do all the work, including in the engine room (South China Sea vets say all with this film is accurate save that key point, the engine room would have been off limits in most cases). The world is changing in many ways. Jake tries to keep his personal world from crashing by helping a fellow sailor who has fallen for a local girl, even though he should know better, and by trying to resist his own temptations to a fresh faced young missionary in the person of Candace Bergen. Richard Crenna is excellent as a prima donna Captain who sees Holman as a threat to his system even before he comes aboard. The political world is also in flux. With the Russian Civil War at an end, revolution is spreading to China as Communists and Nationalists both try to wrest China out of the grip of warlords and foreign powers. The acting by even the most bit players is believable in every nuance and there are simply too many stand-out performances to mention, from Simon Oakland's bullying ship-board nemisis to McQueen to Larry Gates as a frustratingly idealistic missionary. From Action to Romance this movie hits the bullseye every time.

This is simply a classic of movie-making regardless of genre, era, or actors. It is top-notch in every respect. Thank goodness for wide-screen DVD, the ONLY way to watch this film. Nowhere is the non wide-screen, "pan and scan" technique more strongly indicted than in "The Sand Pebbles", I've sat through numerous viewings in that format where characters engaged in conversations can't even be seen! Widescreen DVD is the only way to go on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome movie...
Review: I don't care if it's a metaphor for Vietnam because it's a good movie and a good story. The acting is fantastic and the action keeps you going. This is a movie about an aspect of history that doesn't seem to get covered much, namely our presence in China before WWII. It was a very turbulent time for China with the emergence of the Communists and the Nationalists and the waning of the Emperor. Stuck in the middle were some of the ships of the US Navy.
The best performance in the movie is Richard Krenna by far. He plays a straight laced ship Captain. He is trying to make the best of a bad situation. It's a shame this movie didn't get the recognition it deserves.

Rating:
Summary: Steve McQueen at his best
Review: The Sand Pebbles is a huge epic of a movie detailing a time in U.S. history that most people prefer to forget. The movie tells the story of the San Pablo, a US gunboat, and its new engineer, Jake Holman. Upon his arrival, Holman upsets the living and working system the crew has with their Chinese coolies. This is just the first of many problems that fall upon the San Pablo. Along the way, the crew must remain their presence as China goes through their revolution. Just the presence of the US gunboat upsets the people. The action scenes, especially the battle with the barricade of junks and the gunbattle in the courtyard are startling and graphic, but very effective. There are plenty of great scenes, especially those between Holman and his new Chinese coolie, Po Han. Their scenes together are great to watch as Holman tries to teach him about how the engine works. This is a great movie that takes its time to get going, but once it does it never slows down.

Steve McQueen fully deserved his nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Jake Holman. He became famous for playing the brooding loner, and this performance is no different. Richard Attenborough is also very good as one of Jake's few allies on the ship, Frenchy Burgoyne. Richard Crenna is excellent as the captain of the San Pablo who refuses to question their orders, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. Candice Bergen is very good in one of her first roles as a missionary working with the Chinese people who befriends Jake. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, theatrical trailers, radio documentaries and spots, and commentary by the director. For an excellent movie with fully believable characters, a great story, and well choreographed action scenes, check out The Sand Pebbles!