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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 7277
Released: June 5, 2007 |
| Our Price: $12.49 |
| Used Price: $10.81 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
"The Sand Pebbles" tells many stories. It's the story of China, a slumbering giant that rouses itself to the cries of it's people - and of the Americans who are caught in its blood awakening. It's the story of Frenchy (Richard Attenborough), a crewman on the U.S.S. San Pablo who kidnaps his Chinese bride from the auction block. It's the story of Shirley (Candice Bergen), a teacher and her first unforgettable taste of love. It's the story of Captain Collins (Richard Crenna), ready to defy anyone for his country's defense. Most of all, it's the story of Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), a sailor who has given up trying to make peace with anything - including himself. McQueen gives what is probably the best performance of his career. It's not surprising that he, Mako and the movie were up for Oscars. Portraying a character with conflicting loyalties to friend and flag, McQueen expertly conveys the confusion that leads into his final line: "What the hell happened?" It's to his credit that we already know.
Description of The Sand Pebbles (Two-Disc Special Edition):
Following the success of The Sound of Music, director Robert Wise chose to film Robert McKenna's prize-winning 1962 novel, The Sand Pebbles--an ambitious choice for a director at the peak of his career. Shot in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the film combines historical sweep and intimate human drama in several parallel stories, all revolving around U.S. Navy machinist's mate Jake Holman (Steve McQueen). Holman is a skillful but fiercely independent sailor who joins the "sand pebble" crew of the U.S.S. San Pablo, a Navy gunboat patrolling the Yangtze River on the eve of the Chinese revolution in 1926. The San Pablo's inexperienced captain (Richard Crenna) obsessively defends the Navy's mission--however unnecessary or unwanted--to protect American missionaries and businessmen, blind to the more dangerous implications of American involvement with China's opposing political factions.
Holman is a defiant voice of humanity in this clash between outmoded values and inevitable change; his final line of dialogue ("What the hell happened?") is a tragic summation of misguided policy, expressing the film's criticism of the Vietnam War. Rather than preach, however, Wise lets McKenna's potent drama emerge from finely-drawn relationships--between Holman and a young American teacher (19-year-old Candice Bergen, in her second film); between Holman and the Chinese "coolie" (Mako) whose heartbreaking fate transcends all issues of racial or political difference; and between crewmate "Frenchy" Burgoyne (Richard Attenborough) and the Chinese woman he's sworn to love and protect at all costs. Combined with the film's colorful supporting cast, adventurous scope, and climactic battle scenes, these personal dynamics bring substance and spirit to a complex story of good intentions gone awry. --Jeff Shannon
The Sand Pebbles (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews:
McQueen's Greatest??? 
2009-11-11 - It's hard to pick McQueen's best. In The Sandpebbles he shows us his ability express the greatest range of emotions. The scene with him weeping in the boiler room after he has to shoot Po-Han makes me cry every time I see it and it has even more power with his back turned to us. And who ever looked like the quintessential sailor in his dress whites? I was in the Navy when I was a kid and the whites were always our favorite, we just felt so cool. I am a stickler for details and I can't figure out what happened to the uniforms in the last third of the movie as the ship spends the winter in port. The rank insignia (crows as we used to call them) should all be on the left sleeve. They appear randomly placed on the uniforms and sometimes not at all. Also the forward gun had no recoil even though you see the mechanism.I know there was a Navy Machinist Mate who consulted on the movie. What happened, did they fire him? Just a details only a nerd would notice. Watching McQueen portray a character that grows and develops as the film progresses is a miracle. What a pity the current generation has to do without someone like him. The only one that comes close may be Russel Crowe but he talks a lot more and relies less on his ability to act without speaking. Something I think McQueen brought to an unbelievable level. Tom Cruise still has a little "growing up" to do. I know its futile to find a replacement but how about some to try to at least stand in his shoes.
I read the book and aside from combining two missionary characters I would say it's one of te most accurate translations form print to screen I've ever seen. Check out the book because there are a few more really interesting characters and some nifty descriptions of Jake actually movng the engines so things run smoother.
The music score is fantastic also and I love the "Introduction" and "Intermission." Ridley Scott brought this feature back in Kingdom of Heaven. I like it because it seems to assume a certain intelligence on the part of the audience. the score is quite beautiful but it is constructed in such a way that you know some really bad things are going to happen. Candice Bergan's first movie opposite McQueen? She was only 19. Must have been pretty intimidating. I don't like her personally and her voice-over commentary is too full of political garbage for me to take it seriously. I don't care what her views are, I want to know more about the movie and how it was made. Attenborough is great as usual. The whole cast is able to bring off the small ship Navy swagger I loved so much on the destroyer I was on. Great movie, you can't go wrong.
The Sand Pebbles
2009-09-23 - A genuine classic in HD. Too bad HD is no longer available thus eliminating fair competition with Blu Ray
The Sand Pebbles
2009-09-20 - A classic. McQueen's engineer, Jake Holman, is forced to deal with the complications imposed on US Navy gunboat life by the martinet Captain Collins (Richard Crenna), the troubles of cross-cultural romance as experienced by his friend Frenchy (Richard Attenborough), his own cross-class romantic issues with mission teacher Shirley Eckert (Candice Bergen), and the difficulties involved with reforming the existing engine room coolie hierarchy while training Po-Han (Mako) to be the new engine room "boss," all set against the turbulent rise of communism in mid-1920's China. Strong, likable characters with great moments of personal growth. A solid story that is as believable as it is remarkable.
the Sand Pebbles
2009-09-06 - I loved this movie when it first came out when I saw it in a movie house and I still love it. I'm very glad that I purchased it. Steve McQueen and Candice Bergen are great together.
She still looks good on Boston Legal.
The video came in good condition. No problems at all with this order.
The Sand Pebbles
2009-08-16 - The Sand Pebbles is an outstanding war and historical fiction movie. The movie has an outstanding cast. Steve McOueen gives the best performance of his career as Jake Holman. He received a best actor nomination for his performance in 1966 and should have won the Oscar for best actor. The supporting cast of Richard Crenna, Richard Attenborough, Mako, and Candace Bergen were equally impressive. This movie was ahead of its time. It is still meaningful and timely in its depiction of war and US involvement in foreign countries. The photography and musical score were excellent. Robert Wise was brilliant in his direction of this movie. I believe it was one of the best movies he directed in his long and distinguished career. I saw this movie when it first came out on the big screen in 1966. The Blu Ray presentation was so good, I felt as if I was seeing it for the first time. The movie is about three hours long but entertains you throughout the entire three hours. If you like historical fiction and/or a Steve McQueen fan, this movie is a must for your collection.
