The Sand Pebbles (film)
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| The Sand Pebbles | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Wise |
| Produced by | Robert Wise |
| Written by | Richard McKenna (novel) Robert Anderson |
| Starring | Steve McQueen Richard Attenborough Richard Crenna Candice Bergen Mako Simon Oakland Ford Rainey Gavin MacLeod Joe Turkel |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation |
| Release date(s) | December 20, 1966 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 179 min U.S. release |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 film based on the 1962 novel The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna. It tells the story of a rebellious American sailor on a gunboat plying the rivers of China in the 1920s. It starred Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen and Mako. The movie was adapted by Robert Anderson from the novel by Richard McKenna. It was directed by Robert Wise.
The film deals with the racism and colonialism of the era, both on a small scale, showing how the American sailors treat coolies on the boat and bar girls on shore, and on a large scale by depicting the gunboat diplomacy used against a weak China. The film is considered by some to be a commentary on the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. However, at the time the film came out, anti-Vietnam feelings were nowhere near the peak they would reach three years later.
The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Steve McQueen), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Mako), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Cinematography, Color, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Music Score, Best Picture and Best Sound.
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[edit] Plot
In 1926, US Navy machinist 1st class Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), a nine year veteran {seven in China}, transfers to the Yangtze River Patrol boat San Pablo after having served on the Asiatic Fleet flagship. He is an apolitical person who only wants to take care of the engines. Yet he seems to be a jinx to everyone around him: his friend "Frenchy" (Richard Attenborough) dies of a illness after marrying a Chinese prostitute (Marayat Andriane), who is later killed by nationalists; likewise Holman's friend, Po-han (Mako), is tortured in full view of the crew for working for the Americans, until Holman mercifully kills him with a rifleshot. The Chinese put the San Pablo under a near blockade by falsely claiming Holman killed "Frenchy"'s wife; this results in such a strain on the crew, that they nearly mutiny and call for Holman to be handed over to the Chinese.
The gunboat, under the command of Captain Collins (Richard Crenna), is ordered to evacuate a missionary, Jameson (Larry Gates) and a schoolteacher, Shirley Eckert (Candice Bergen), from a remote mission near the Yangtze River. The would-be rescuers have to battle their way past a blockade of junks tied together with ropes. Holman cuts the rope boom and kills a young man in the hand-to-hand fighting.
With the ship's crew understrength because of casualties, Captain Collins personally leads a rescue party. Leaving one man to guard the ship's motorboat, Holman, Collins, and the remaining two seaman go ashore. When they reach the mission, Jameson and Eckert refuse to leave, the former going so far as to renounce his citizenship. Then they learn that the student leader they had been depending on for protection died at the rope boom - killed by Holman.
Suddenly, the mission is invaded by Chinese soldiers. Jameson foolishly tries to tell them of his "non-citizenship", but is shot dead. Collins uses a Browning Automatic Rifle to create a diversion so the rest can escape, but is also killed. Still a rebel at heart, but now in charge, Holman picks up the weapon to cover their retreat. With the others safely away, he almost makes it to safety himself, but is fatally wounded. He slumps to the ground, disbelieving his own mortality. Eckert and the remaining seamen make it to the San Pablo.
[edit] Quotes
- Holman [as he lays dying]: I was home. What happened? What the hell happened?
[edit] Trivia
- Wise had wanted to make the film for years, but studio executives were reluctant to finance the project. Eventually, the green light was given, but due to the extensive location scouting and other pre-production work, Wise saw that it would take at least a year before he would be able to begin filming. At the studio's insistence, Wise agreed to do a filler project in the meantime. That film was The Sound of Music, one of the most popular and critically acclaimed movies of the 1960s.
- Much of the film was filmed in Taiwan. Because of frequent rain, and tremendous production difficulties, the film was almost not finished. Steve McQueen took an entire year off from film-making after production was done because he was so exhausted. He later said that whatever sins he had committed in his life were paid for when he made the film.
- The two sailors in the rescue party were played by Gavin MacLeod (later the captain of The Love Boat) and Joe Turkel ("Lloyd the Bartender" in The Shining).
- The author of The Sand Pebbles served in the China River Patrol in 1936.
- Although Westerners and Chinese fought at the Taku forts in 1858-1860, the only large battles between Westerners and Asians on the Yangtze River were:
- the 1937 Panay incident, between the Americans and the Japanese, not the Chinese
- the 1949 Yangtze Incident between the Royal Navy (HMS Amethyst, HMS Consort, HMS London and HMS Black Swan) and Chinese artillery batteries.
- The film is now available on DVD, with an extensive commentary track by the director and several of the actors.
- Although it was described as a "gunboat", the San Pablo's only artillery was a 3 inch .23 caliber AA deck gun; its only machine guns were two Lewis Guns and a B.A.R. The sailors' small arms were Springfield 1903 rifles; bayonets and four .45 M1911 pistols carried by the officers and NCOs.
