MovieChat Forums > The Sand Pebbles (1966) Discussion > Remake needed?

Remake needed?

posted 19 years ago by bhague-2
74 replies | jump to latest

Given the changing nature of the relationship between the U.S. and China, and the harsh realities of U.S. imperialism depicted in the original, perhaps it's time for a remake, to bring this story to a modern audience. While it would be tough to match the performances of McQueen, Attenborough and Crenna, I'm sure that if a good cast were assembled, this could be a worthy project for remake. There's also plenty of talented Chinese actors who could fill some of those roles (Mako, who starred in the original, is actually ethnically Japanese), which could provide interest for the Asian market. I'm not sure who could play Jake, (Matt Damon, maybe) but I think Scarlett Johansen would be terrific as Shirley . . .

[–] scouterrob 18 years ago

You simply can not re-make a Steve Mcqueen movie!!!It's been tried with The Getaway and The thomas Crown Affair and both remakes in my humble opinion are not even in the same park as their originals. There are no actors of McQueen's calibre and talent in hollywood today. A remake of this movie would not only be an insult to the original movie but also an insult to the memory of Steve McQueen. How about instead of remaking classic movies, why don't the 5 or 6 writers that actually work in hollywood take all the energy they put into re-makes and instead put out something original and fresh.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Lonixcap 18 years ago

The only way a remake of this could possibly work is as a Broadway musical.
I know this sounds crazy and I'm not a big broadway fan at all, but it could be done in a Miss Saigon sort of way.
It would probably be a huge hit, with a hit pop song or two, and then they would do a movie version of it and that would suck.

The Sand Pebbles is a classic film, and a movie remake is totally unnecessary.

btw

Paul Newman was the first choice to play Holman, but apparently he did'nt want to spend a year in Taiwan.

Alex North was to be the composer, but became ill and was replaced by Jerry Goldsmith.

Theme "And We Were Lovers" was a pop radio hit.

[–] scruffy58 17 years ago

No to remakes, especially great films like this. This film is virtually perfect - cast, cinematography, score, screenplay and direction. I have yet to see a remake that has even come close to it's original. It is just as ridiculous to suggest someone repainting a Monet.

"Thus, we began our longest journey together."
Adult Scout, 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

[–] kalamazoo101 18 years ago

Bhague,

I am sick to death of people like you who demand remakes of already excellent films. REMAKES DO NOT WORK. That, and who the hell cares about the changing relationship between China and the U.S.? This movie was based in 1926.

That, and suggesting a cast of Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansen about made me vomit.

[–] Sarge075 18 years ago

As far as I am concerned there is no need to remake this fine film. All of the actors fit into their respective roles. No one in my mind could replace the late Mako as Pohan, McQueen as Holman.

Besides Most of the remakes I have seen try to cater to the "MTV" generation by sticking Young actors or actresses into roles that they should never even contemplate taking. Don't believe me? Watch the original "The Fog" and then the remake, or even Amityville. While the thought of a modernized re-envisioning does peak my curiousity, the original has no need for improvement.

[–] goodallp-1 18 years ago

Totally agree with you!

Remakes show signs of Hollywood running out of ideas. Psycho. The Italian job. The Amityville Horror. The Wicker Man. The Omen. Alfie. The Flight Of The Phoenix. These and much more are perfect examples of why remakes suck. Only a select few actually work, and only then because they tried to change the original (Cape Fear, The Departed). Why is it that people suggest that every old film should be remade? Why? Why not just stick to the original?

After all, the films they remake are classics, so why would anybody want to redo something that is classic to begin with? I've heard horrifying news of a remake of The Wild Bunch! God help us all. Old Sam must be doing cartwheels right now!

[–] mopar-11 18 years ago

Instead of remaking this film, why don't you find a good novel and make a film based on that. "Tom Mix and Pancho Villa" by Clifford Irving comes to mind. Or the two Herman Wouk novels "The Hope" and "The Glory"(Granted, they would probably have to be miniseries) Ang Lee took Woodrell's novel "Woe To Live On" and made "Ride With The Devil", an excellent film, in 1999.
Of course, today's Hollywood can't make a film, historical or otherwise, without infusing today's politics in it. Bergen, Wise and a plethora of media critics will tell you that "The Sand Pebbles" is really about Vietnam. No, goddamn it! From what I got from the Richard Mckenna novel and the film, it was about U.S. gunboat sailors on the Yangzee River in 1925-26 China. The fact is, no one in Hollywood had the guts to make a film about Vietnam in the 1960's (except for John Wayne, bless him) so they had to make "allogorical" films. Today, they are a wee bit more brave, but we are still inundated with "alagorical" films and TV shows about Iraq. If you want to make a film pissing on the Iraq War(and, consequentially, the soldiers who are fighting it, because you will be) then kindly have the spinal fortitude to stand up and make it. Not the rectal fortitude to use alagory. And, please, do not bring up Michael Moore. His documentaries are more fiction than "Jane and the Dragon"

"Main stim stop wawlf."

[–] rogcbrand 16 years ago

LOL! I agree. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and I think this was not meant to be an allegory, but simply a very compelling story based on events in 1920's China!

I can think of extremely few film remakes that are as good as the originals- I loved the Mel Gibson/Anthony Hopkins "The Bounty", but never is a remake even slightly as good as the original when they use "todays" latest flavor of young celebrity.

[–] racroen 16 years ago

But... if they remade it, we could have Will Smith as Jake Holman, and Denzel Washington as Captain Collins, and Forest Whitaker as Frenchy Burgoyne, and Mario Van Peebles as Po-han, and, uh, Queen Latifah as Shirley Eckert.

We could make it just like the original, except set it in space, and the spaceships could look just like gunboats from the 1920s, because they're so high-tech they could look like anything. And they could travel though hyperspace with, like, Audioslave on the soundtrack, and we could all get really fücked up for the hyperspace parts. That would be cool.

It would need a CGI character, though, for comic relief. Just make something up. It could be a big green ogre with antennae, or a talking dog, or a little blob of goo or something. But the important thing, the very, very most important thing of all, would be to give it a really irritating voice.

I wonder what Ahmed Best is doing these days?

[–] rogcbrand 16 years ago

To be politically correct for today's standards, I think they'd have to go with a black, disabled lesbian for the role of Jake Holman...

[–] racroen 16 years ago

rogcbrand: "I think they'd have to go with a black, disabled lesbian for the role of Jake Holman..."

Well... not disabled -- differently abled. You really need to brush up on your PC-speak. A differentability would hamper the non-stop action sequences, though.

I know! We could make her a cyborg! She could have a mechanical arm and half a mechanical face, but really killer original ta-tas spilling out of a tight leather corset! Then she could be super-strong and differently-abled!

Are you listening, Hollywood! We're talking BOX OFFICE GOLD here!

[–] rogcbrand 16 years ago

LOL! You're right! You've got the makings of a Summer Blockbuster there! Something to please each of the demographics!
:P

[–] racroen 16 years ago

rogcbrand: "You've got the makings of a Summer Blockbuster there! Something to please each of the demographics!"

Not quite: I'm still trying to work in the handsome vampire and the teenage girl who loves him. He'd never hurt her, though. He's gentle.

People just don't understand vampires. It's not fair.

[–] rogcbrand 16 years ago

LOL!

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] goodallp-1 18 years ago

I've got an even better idea!

how about Hollywood leaves the film alone!!!?

NO??

IT. DOESN'T. NEED. A. REMAKE. !.

Sorry, but had to get that off my chest...

[–] Gloede_The_Saint 17 years ago

Why should anyone care if the relations between U.S and China has changed, this movie was supposed to take place in 1926, changing anything would just be to dumb it down. ...and why shouldn't the marine be depicted as real people with good and bad sides? Besides the way they could make this movie better is remove the intermission and add more scenes. But this can simply be done by editing the original takes. The movie was on more than 240 minutes you know and I don't thing they have thrown it away.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] sawyertom 17 years ago

Hell,no!!! Don't remake it! That's all Hollywood is anymore is remakes and sequels. We get enough remakes and sequels until they're coming out of our @ss.

[–] megatosspot 17 years ago

I'd love to see a Chinese remake.

[–] hueydoc 17 years ago

why is it that everyone thinks every good movie should be remade? all a remake will do is make people NOT want to see the original because the remake sucked so much.