zetes I wasn't really looking forward to this, as I'm not a huge fan of military/war movies, not to mention it's three hours long. Thankfully, though, it's quite good, almost great. I think it could have moved a bit faster at times, but it's a compelling story with several exceptional set pieces and fine acting all around. Steve McQueen stars as a gunboat engineer assigned to a small ship, the USS San Pablo, sailing the Yangtze River in 1926. Revolution brews in China, but the handful of Westerners in the country don't have much to do with it. That doesn't last for long, as the communist factions gain more traction and the San Pablo becomes a scapegoat of some of the factions, who try to get the Americans to commit an act of war so their own civil war can fully blossom. The San Pablo has to play the situation very carefully. The movie is quite tense. It's not very action packed, but it does build to a fantastic battle sequence which has instantly become one of my all time favorites. McQueen was rarely better, and received his sole Oscar nomination for the role. Just as good in supporting roles are Mako (who was Oscar nominated, as well), Richard Attenborough (who was not but did win a Golden Globe) and Richard Crenna as the Captain. Candice Bergen, only 19 or 20 at the time, also co-stars as McQueen's love interest. She doesn't get a lot to do, but she's fine.

qormi The Sand Pebbles is a larger-than-life film. Great acting, great cinematography, great soundtrack. The soundtrack was very moving...the subtle notes work in perfect harmony with the visuals. McQueen's very best acting performance...a simple man with integrity and compassion, tough and low-key. McQueen immersed himself in this character...he probably deserved the Oscar he didn't get. Richard Crenna was very convincing as the self- indulgent, incompetent,stubborn, power-obsessed captain. Reminds me of some bosses I've had to suffer through. The key to this movie is the magical way in which we are transported to a forgotten time and place. Attention to detail, intense acting. One flaw I noticed was in the scene at the bar/ cat house in which it just seemed like a phony, overly lit, cavernous sound stage. It seemed so phony and out of place. A dark, claustrophobic setting would have been much more effective.

r-dunnet Steve McQueen was rightly nominated for an Oscar, for his sterling performance in this movie. For Richard Crenna, this has to have been his finest hour. A beautifully crafted tale of American involvement in China during, I think , the Boxer rebellion. The film reunited Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, of Great Escape fame. However, it must be said that the character of Frenchy, who Richard Attenborough plays, is a disappointment in this production, as he is totally out of place in his portrayal of a lovesick member of the crew. The film moves at an extraordinary pace throughout, with the occasional calm respite. Totally believable from start to finish, with engineering set- pieces spot on. The Sand Pebbles remains one reason why people still visit the cinema.

ma-cortes This interesting and epic film is often mistakenly described as being intended as an allegory for the Vietnam War and the political climate of American imperialism . A three-hour action/drama picture , set in China 50 years ago ; this film's opening prologue states: "CHINA 1926 . Ravaged from within by corrupt warlords ,oppressed from without by the great world powers who had beaten China to her knees a century before ; China, a country of factions trying to unite to become a nation through revolution . Engineer Jake Holman (Steve McQueen , though first choice to play him was Paul Newman) , arrives aboard the gunboat U.S.S. San Pablo, he is a ¨loner¨ seaman who is a newcomer to the crew assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China when Chinese communists take on nationalists and subsequent attacks to foreign people . He become aware of the violent climate , tension and threats over crew and missionaries . As revolutionaries have begun open violence against Americans in Nanking. There he falls in love with a missionary teacher (a newcomer actress Candice Bergen) and finds himself at odds with his command structure , captain (Richard Crenna) and seamen . Frenchy Burgoyne (Richard Attenborough) is the only member of the crew with whom Jake forms any real attachment . This is a story of men who disturbed the sleeping dragon of China as the world watched in terror.This exciting as well as epic film blends noisy action , romance , spectacular sea battles , fights and results to pretty entertaining , though overlong . It has its moments combining sensitive scenes with breathtaking warlike frames . The treatment of this tale can be seen as commentary on the situation in Vietnam at the time of the movie's release . However , Richard McKenna, the author of the best-selling novel on which the film was based, served on U.S. Navy gunboats in China during the 1930's and based the book on his own experiences . The Vietnam War allegory, perhaps inevitably, was ascribed to the film by the press on it's release in 1966, although not the original intention of the author, screenwriter, or director . Very good acting by Steve McQueen as a sailor of an old gunboat now doing duty on the Yangtze river . Considered to be one of McQueen's best performance , he got his only nomination for an Academy Award , Best Actor, for this film . Also featured are Candice Bergen as an American woman who has arrived in China at a mission along with Larry Gates , Richard Crenna as a doubtful commandant and a motley plethora of secondaries as American actors : Charles Robinson , Simon Oakland , Joe Turkel , Gus Trikonis , Gavin MacLeod of Love Boat, as Chinese players : Mako , James Hong and Richard Loo . Special mention to Richard Attenborough as a seaman who falls in love for a new prostitute , Emmanuelle Arsan writer of erotic Emmanuel series and originates tense as well as sensitive moments . Richard deservedly won Golden Globe 67 support cast . Rousing score by maestro Jerry Goldsmith , when original composer Alex North fell ill, 20th Century Fox exercised their right to pull their contract composer Jerry Goldsmith from another studio's assignment- MGM's Grand Prix . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Joseph MacDonald , this Twentieth Century Fox release marked their switch from their own Cinemascope process to Panavisión . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Robert Wise . He was a successful director of all kind genres as musical as ¨West side story¨, ¨The sound of music¨ , Sci-fi as ¨The day the earth stood still¨, ¨Star Trek : the motion picture ¨, ¨The Andromeda strain¨ , Terror as ¨The body snatchers¨ , ¨ Curse of the cat people¨, ¨Audrey Rose¨ , ¨The haunting¨ , Western as ¨Blood on the moon¨, ¨Tribute to a bad man¨, Epic or colossal as ¨Elen of Troy¨ and wartime as ¨The desert rats¨. ¨Run silent , run deep¨ , ¨Hinderburg¨ and this ¨The sand pebbles¨.