The Sand Pebbles [Blu-ray] [1966]

I originally saw The Sand Pebbles at the cinema all those years ago and was blown away by the acting and the frank and brutal honesty of the emerging scenario of the conflicts of characters during the growing Chinese revolution.This blu ray version is complete including the opening blank screen with introductory music and the intermission. So don't worry, your screen hasn't failed, it was made that way in those days, get some exotic ice cream or a cup of China tea and listen. In spite of the length of the film it is riveting throughout and the anti happy ending is as conflicted as the characters and the situation in which they are are enmeshed in. Steve McQueen is more than usually iconic as the lone engineer Jake Holman who has more affinity with machines than people in a political situation he barely understands nor cares for. Jake Holman's innate gruff humanity highlights and transforms everyone around him and his character evolves in sympathy to the point where he resists authority to protect others.Robert Wise pulls no punches regarding human failings and enhances that with humans in love and destiny. Particularly with the almost opposite attitude of Richard Attenborough's portrayal of Frenchy in love with the similarly entrapped Chinese girl Maily played with painful insecurity and vulnerability by Emmanuelle Arsan. Perhaps there are lessons for all of us in these conflicted times that to be true to oneself and with love for others is paramount when confronted with life changing events that we can do little about other than to be ourselves with honesty and fortitude against all odds no matter how they turn out.

Great movie, sent really quick.

Robert Wise had made two movies before thisone, which were two of the most popular filmsof the 1960s, and in today's money, madebillions... Those films were West Side Story,and, The Sound of Music. So there after, hecould direct want he wanted, so he pickedthis project, from the book of the same name.This is an interesting story of a US gun boatpatrolling the Yangtze River in the middle ofthe Chinese civil war. It was also made in themiddle of the Vietnam war, and has anti-imperialism theme, which all-in-all makes thisa "anti-war" movie. Also, Steve McQueen is athis "anti-hero" best here too, but at 2 hours and55 mins long, it's a hard watch. It does have anoverture and an intermission, which helps theviewing, but it does go on too long.This movie is a must for Steve McQueen fans, ashe had to take a year off after making it, due toill health, but he did come back is 1968 with twogreat films, Bulliet and The Thomas Crown Affair.It is also interesting for the historical times it isset in. The stunt work is good, and it changedthe way Hong Kong did their stunts there after.This movie did make money on it's release, but issomehow not as popular as West Side Story, or,The Sound of Music, which are two movies I neversit down to watch. But this one, is worth your time.

For me, this film is a long forgotten classic featuring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough who would appear in The Great Escape. The film is set in the 1920s and Steve McQueen plays his regular outsider maverick role who upsets the routine of a small patrol boat in China. He has gone from ship to ship being his own man and challenging authority. He teams up with Richard Attenborough who falls in love with a Chinese girl living in a seedy establishment and together they contrive to rescue the girl but it ends in tragedy. Meanwhile Steve McQueen becomes a mentor for a coolie onboard ship but that also ends in tragedy. Then there is the love interest with Candice Bergen which also.... It is one of those 1960s long, possibly self-indulgent films, but the acting and interaction between the characters is engaging for me. It is a relatively slow film but the outcome warrants this type of story. It is similar in style to the Ingrid Bergman story In of the Sixth Happiness, also set in a turbulent revolutionary China, quiet and low key.

Awesome 👌 👏

This was a movie that I saw when I was in short trousers at a Saturday Matinee in the Lyceum in Govan and have loved ever since and have owned on VHS, DVD and now digital, it is a great movie with a tremendous story and great acting.Steve McQueen earned his only Oscar nomination for this film an Richard Attenborough won a Golden Globe.A film that stays with you for a long time.

Fantastic performance from Steve McQueen ably backed up by Richard Attenborough, a very long film over 3 hours, it does have an intermission halfway through so I watched it in two goes and thoroughly enjoyed it, the transfer to Blu ray is very good too I must say.

Firstly, as usual I saw this film when I was a young teenager. All that reminds me is the discrimination of the Chinese people by foreign powers AT THEIR OWN BACKYARD. I believe many Asian countries banned this film at the time. However, the script and story line is beautifully crafted by Robert Wise and eventually the film turns out to be one of the greatest adventure, beautiful, emotional and powerful movies of its time. Added to this the Blu-ray transfer is adequate and ok and enhance the beautiful scenery of 'old China'(actually filmed in Macau and I think Taiwan). And the soundtrack, mesmerising. I pre-ordered this copy so naturally I got it cheaper, however even at over £10 it's worth every penny. The film was downgraded to a 12 but still everything is intact including the 'death by a thousand cuts' scene. Brilliant film making by a master director!