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The Sand Pebbles [Blu-ray]
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Editorial Reviews:
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"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.
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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
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The Sand Pebbles [Blu-ray]
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User Comments About The Sand Pebbles [Blu-ray]
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Great epic/adventure/romance
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The Sand Pebbles is a Steve McQueen vehicle, no doubt one of his best movies, but it is also the unacknowledged epic of the sixties, when the genre began to decline as a mere Hollywood spectacle and was becoming a more thoughtful, more complext adventure that took on momentous themeslike the emergence of China as an independent country and world power. Add Candice Bergen, at her freshest, Richard Attenborough emerging as a key figure in movies, and several Hollywood veterans, like Richard Crenna, and you have a mix that offers both entertainment and a thoughtfully staged adventure, replete with exotic locales, suspenseful clashes, and a gripping ending. Longish, but nearly flawlessly directed by Robert Wise. The blu-ray edition restores it to its original glory.
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Movie: 3.75/5 Picture Quality: 4.25/5 Sound Quality: 3.25/5 Extras: 4/5
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1. Subtitles: English / Spanish / Cantonese / Korean. Disc size: 39,45 GB. Average video bit rate: 18.02 Mbps. Version: U.S.A / Region A. #1966 (SD, 27 minutes). Title: The Sand Pebbles. #Radio Documentaries and Production Photos (20 minutes).
DD AC3 1.0 224Kbps English / French / Spanish. #The Making of The Sand Pebbles (SD, 64 minutes). Movie size: 33,29 GB. #Isolated Film Score and Commentary. DD AC3 4.0 320Kbps English. #Radio Spots (2 minutes) #Road Show Scenes (SD, 14 minutes).
#Trivia Track. DTS-HD Master 5.1 3705Kbps (48kHz/24-bit) English. MPEG-2 BD-50. Running time: 3:02:33. #Cast and Crew Commentary. Special Features. #Side Bars (SD, 34 minutes).
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I had never seen it before. As a former Navy man, I enjoyed that aspect too. I really appreciated the Special Feature with the commentary by Robert Wise, Richard Crenna, Mako, and Candace Bergen. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It gives a whole new appreciation for the detail that went into the movie. That was an interesting time in history. I have watched it several times.
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I had forgotten how great this movie was so seeing it again made my day. Worth every $$$. Steve McQueen wasn't the first choice for his part, but he was a 10+. Hope you enjoy.
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Excellent Movie! Well Worth the time spent watching it.
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David Arneson Previous Reviewer stated: "Good movie to show to the kids to let them see how crappy the 60s were for entertainment. " The Sand Pebbles" is a great movie, one which garnered over EIGHT Academy Award Nominations. However, great actors and acting apparently don't fit his "style'. He doesn't realize that some of the best movies of the 20th Century were made in the '60s, such as:. I pity this poor man, apparently he wants nothing but special effects, computer-generated FX, explosions, etc.
Many of these movies have far betting acting and actors that what is available today.kind of sparse on the special features.". To Kill A Mockingbird, Dr. Stangelove, Fail Safe, The Longest Day, In Cold Blood, Psycho, 2001 - A Space Odyssey, Alfie, Bonnie & Clyde, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Once Upon A Time In The West, The Manchurian Candidate, The Miracle Worker, In The Heat of The Night, The Great Escape, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Pink Panther, and so many more. I strongly suggest that people reading his review treat it with a grain of salt.
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