Review of The Sand Pebbles (1966) by Grant S — 19 Feb 2016
Great performance by Steve McQueen offset by unfocused, badly paced, meandering plot.
1926. China is in the middle of a revolution. US, British and French gunboats patrol the rivers, but are meant to be neutral in the conflict, though this does not stop them from being attacked. Onto one such US gunboat, the USS San Pablo ("Sand Pebble" to its crew) steps Petty Officer Jake Holman, newly-appointed chief engineer.
Not your typical Steve McQueen movie. For the most part this is more a human drama than an action movie. McQueen here is more an anti-hero than a hero, and displays a rare sensitivity and vulnerability in his performance.
The performance garnered McQueen his one and only Oscar nomination. Remember that at the next trivia night!
The script, however, undermines his efforts. For the first two hours or so it meanders without any real point. Even worse, it is quite schmaltzy and trite.
After a point the pace lifts dramatically and you feel that at last the movie has found its direction. This is then all undone by the last few scenes where we have naive idealism (that seemed to come from nowhere), idealism shown up (so, which side is the writer on?), implausible gung-ho military tactics and a very unoriginal, predictable and conventional conclusion.
Overall, it's okay, though quite uneven, especially in the pacing and the message.
This review of The Sand Pebbles (1966) was written by Grant S on 19 Feb 2016.
The Sand Pebbles has generally received very positive reviews.
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