I am a huge Steve McQueen fan, I have watched almost all his movies. So, I was so thrilled when I got the DVD, since this part led Steve to the only Oscar nomination of his career. And I was completely disappointed! Took me three days to finish it and I skipped some parts in the end. So desperately boring!
Anyone else?
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Even Robert Wise himself wondered whether the Frenchy/Maily subplot was necessary...but it's resolution is what lands Holman in hot water with the Nationalist Chinese, who are all too happy to frame him for murder. Collins' refusal to hand Holman over(though strictly on the basis of Homan being a symbol of America) is what provokes the near mutiny, which leads to Collins' willingness to pick a pointless, possibly suicidal battle with the Chinese. What lands Holman in hot water in the book wouldn't have been filmed due to charges of animal cruelty and points up how different Chinese culture is from America's (Holman frees a pig restrained by wires through it's eyelids in a marketplace and the murder charge is purely trumped up...to Holman it's animal cruelty).
shareMaybe develop an attention span, and develop an interest in PLOT AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Or keep watching Transformer movies. That may make you happy.
shareWhen I first saw this movie, I was around 16 and watched it from start to finish, with some pauses to stretch and get food. Years later, I appreciate it because while it is long, it is careful and thoughtful in the development of the characters, setting and mood. I love it.
shareI recommend that you read the book (IF you can find it in your local library; otherwise, used copies are available for peanuts). Then watch the movie again. Maybe that will help it come together for you.
Don't expect the film to contain all the elements of the novel; that would have been impossible. But "The Sand Pebbles" is a terrific film. And the novel is a great book from a very gifted writer who died too soon. By the way, McKenna, the author, was an old salt who served in what before World War 2 used to be called the "Asiatic Fleet" and he did painstaking research, so he knew of what he wrote.
I was just looking at a copy on amazon earlier today, now that you recommend it I will certainly order myself a copy.
shareNo, you are unique.
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I thought it was great. Not boring. I'm also a huge Steve McQueen fan. Maybe you are more of an action fan and less a fan of character and story development set during a fascinating period in history.
Fascinating time in history with a lot of personal, cultural and patriotic (both sides) conflicts that get resolved in various ways, with the great performance by McQueen and the rest of the cast. Great movie that many people would find foreign and uninteresting. I'm not one of those people.
shareNot me. I find it riveting from beginning to end and have watched it several times.
shareIf you're looking for a "Rocky" type ending to this movie, forget about it. It's more than that.
shareI believe the American public is so use to "Instant Gratification" and do not like to sit around. I grew up in a time when movies like "The Sand Pebbles," "West Side Story," "Ben-Hur," "Lawrence of Arabia," "Sound of Music," "My Fair Lady," "Ten Commandments," "Camelot," "Cleopatra," "Fiddler On The Roof" and some others were met to be shown in theaters twice a day during the week and maybe three times on Saturday and Sunday. You knew you were going to see an Epic when you went to see them, you knew they were going to be long plus it was by reservation only. They were SPECIAL and that is the way they were treated. The theater was full and everyone had fun. They even had programs you could buy about the movie and I still have the ones I got for "My Fair Lady," "Camelot" and "Fiddler On The Roof."
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