MovieChat Forums > The Sand Pebbles (1966) Discussion > My ideas for the remake

My ideas for the remake

posted 10 years ago by xaggurat
8 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong, I love old classics like Sand Pebbles, but often these old classics have their general faults. Everything in the story is thoroughly whitewashed, characters are paper thin, morality values are childishly black and white, and the exotic places they present are nothing but very light projections of the Western mind.

As these films offer escapism, they have very little to do with reality. Which for a modern viewer greates a problem: They are in a sense very romantic, but there's not much romance, if you know what I mean.

Someone wrote a post in 2005 about remake idea, and I decided to start a new thread. SO, to make it more real, here's what I'd add to the remake:

1. MORE VIOLENCE: There would be a battle between revolutionary and reactionary which the main characters would witness. There would be a robbery and stabbing of one or two sailors. There would be a chase in the market place with more comical violence. There would be more fist fights between sailors. There would be more bullets flying in battle scenes.

2. MORE SEX & NUDITY: Definitely. Every man wants to see Maily naked, after all. The brothel & bar would look more like a brothel & bar, the one in the movie looks more like a church, with weirdly light grey paint and all. Had I been in the US Navy in the 1920s China I certainly would have found a much cooler joint. Also with Jake and Shirley, in my version Jake wouldn't be just a kiss and good byes kinda guy, but kiss, sex and good byes kinda guy. When Jake gets back to her Shirley would be actually a bit pissed towards Jake because of just leaving her after making friends with her hoohoo.

3. MORE RACISM: Big part of the men and officers in the gunboat would be hard core racists, behaving with racist attitudes towards the Chinese. Like the US soldiers were in the Philippines couple decades earlier. To be equally truthful, some Chinese would be quite racist towards the Americans.

4. MORE BAD LANGUAGE: Come on, the sailors are acting too nice all the time. It's just not real. They are SAILORS! So, in my remake they would be using so many F-words and also more colorful but nasty/dirty expressions.

5. MORE DRUGS: So, we're talking about the center of drug world of the time, home of the opium, and the men in the gun boat have a lot of empty time in their hands, and there are plenty of Chinese workers on the boat etc... but no one is using? Yeah, lol, right.

6. MORE CHINA: China in the movie is quite obscure and fantastic. So are the relations between the Americans and the Chinese. In my version, Jake would be introduced to the eastern spirituality and philosophy, and it would have an effect on him.

Anyway, as Jake is more of a non transforming hero figure in the story, Frenchie would be the developing character. Also Shirley would change from a do-good save-the-world missy to an adult woman with more realistic perspective towards her work.

7. MORE SADISM: The captain would be more sadistic and arbitrary, and less just towards his men than Richard Crenna. He wouldn't be very likable, and rescue mission he does only in wishes of promotion. This captain would use divide and rule, and fear to master his ship.

8. MORE MAILY: Maily here is a very fantastic character, a beautiful damsel in distress with mysterious past as a thief, now working as a hostess in a cathouse... but still a virgin and an angel for a woman! Yeah, right, The audience WAS born yesterday lol.

The reworked Maily would be also an opium addict, and already a seasoned prostitute, but she would charm the naive Frenchie anyway by lying about everything. Frenchie would even have to kill Shu to free Maily and marry her - but it would be like Jake says, Maily doesn't love Frenchie but marries him because what else is there to do after brothel. Later Frenchie would have to deal with Maily's bad habits, but instead of saving her Frenchie would loose his faith to the relationship and start to use Opium etc himself. He wouldn't die because of freezing himself in cold water, but because of opium, or some exotic disease.

I think we have a seller here! Maybe you disagree? )))

[–] phillipsdan83 10 years ago

The movie was based on a novel in the first place. Maybe you wrote the script to the Demi Moore-Gary Oldman version of "The Scarlet Letter"?

[–] TavionAxmis 10 years ago

If you prefer movies that use cursing, sex, violence, & drugs to entertain you then this is your generation. If you find yourself wanting more sadism while watching a classic film, they simply are not for you. Appreciate people were intelligent enough to write films that aren't full of distractions. Once you have an original idea & create a screenplay, you can do it your way. Until then, I'd watch modern movies

[–] ktine-1 10 years ago

Thank you brianjgulbrandsen! Exactly what I was thinking. You don't need all that garbage to make a movie good. Hell this movie doesn't even need to be remade.

[–] ScopeWatcher 10 years ago

If you prefer movies that use cursing, sex, violence, & drugs to entertain you then this is your generation. If you find yourself wanting more sadism while watching a classic film, they simply are not for you. Appreciate people were intelligent enough to write films that aren't full of distractions. Once you have an original idea & create a screenplay, you can do it your way. Until then, I'd watch modern movies.

I think it's the particular modern movies that kid appears to be stuck on which block him from appreciating either the humanity or the ideals that drive THE SAND PEBBLES. The OP might only be a longwinded troll; but may I never know about such a trashing of that classic film produced in my lifetime.

Most great films deserve a more appreciative audience than they get.

[–] scott-269-715736 10 years ago

1. Plenty of movies to satisfy this one. Sand Pebbles has to go with the facts of history as much as possible.

2. Jake Holman is that kind of guy. He even makes an attempt to warn Shirley.

3. The crew had a very racist attitude, but also had to rely on the Chinese aboard ship and ashore for entertainment.

4. During my own time sailing, bad language was rare. Not unheard, just not used much.

5. The Chinese onboard were likely using some opium. The sailors definitely not. Even if there was 1 using, he would ostracized by the rest of the crew. Why use opium with serious consequences when you can drink all you want with no minimal or no problems.

6. In the actual story Jake is a very transforming figure. To put the whole book into a move would make for a very long movie. Perhaps read the book?

7. A simplistic sadistic captain could make an interesting movie, but it wouldn't be Sand Pebbles. Perhaps write a book?

8. Again the book went into more depth about Maily. Time to read the book?

You may have a best seller with the ideas, but that means you should write it. It's just not Sand Pebbles. Maybe you can call it Mud Puppies. Today's hollywood would probably love the script.

[–] daultimatefan 8 years ago

I'm 90 percent OP is being sarcastic. At least I hope so :)

[–] tropicaldiver2001 8 years ago

The ship named USS San Pablo used in The Sand Pebbles was the most expensive movie prop ever made up to that time. It actually steamed on a lake in Taiwan for the filming. Today it would all be computer generated and not as good.

Remakes rarely are as good as the original. True Grit being an exception to that rule.

[–] KBiker (1256) 4 years ago

Otherwise, it's just an idiotic post.