The Sand Pebbles (1966)

Calificación de los usuarios:

7.7/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Escritores:

Richard McKenna (novel)
Robert Anderson (screenplay)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

20 diciembre 1966 (USA)

Género:

Drama | Romance | Guerra

Frase comercial:

THE STORY OF MEN...men who disturbed the sleeping dragon of China as the world watched in terror!

Plot:

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat U.S.S. San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of...

Plot Keywords:

China | Chinese | Gunboat | Missionary | Hate

Premios:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

The Sand Pebbles - a powerful and human anti-war film

Reparto

Steve McQueen	...	Jake Holman
Richard Attenborough	...	Frenchy Burgoyne
Richard Crenna	...	Captain Collins
Candice Bergen	...	Shirley Eckert
Emmanuelle Arsan	...	Maily (as Marayat Andriane)
Mako	...	Po-han
Larry Gates	...	Jameson
Charles Robinson	...	Ensign Bordelles
Simon Oakland	...	Stawski
Ford Rainey	...	Harris
Joe Turkel	...	Bronson
Gavin MacLeod	...	Crosley
Joe Di Reda	...	Shanahan (as Joseph di Reda)
Richard Loo	...	Major Chin
Barney Phillips	...	Franks

También conocida como:

El Yang-Tsé en llamas (Spain) [es]
El cañonero del Yangtze (Chile) [es]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual material.

Duración:

182 min | UK:243 min (BBFC submission before censorship) | Sweden:193 min | USA:196 min (roadshow version)

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.20 : 1

Sonido:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Clasificación:

Norway:11 (DVD rating) (2006) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14A (video rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #21310) (original rating) | Brazil:14 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (2000) | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Singapore:PG

Locaciones de Filmación:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Compañía:

Robert Wise Productions

Trivialidades:

Robert Wise's first choice to play Jake Holman was Paul Newman.

Errores:

Personal o Equipo Visible: Apparatus for simulating the gunshot wound in Richard Crenna's back, called a squib, is quite visible as he runs away from the camera in the China Light courtyard.

Citas:

Captain Collins: Pray for an early spring... or permission to open fire.

Conexiones de Película:

Referenced in Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

The Sand Pebbles - a powerful and human anti-war film

`The Sand Pebbles' has been one of my favourite films since I first saw it on television in 1976. The widescreen version does justice not just to the sweeping panoramas of the quite breathtaking Chinese scenery, but also to the sweeping events and themes of the story. It is in every way a `big' film, dealing with political and military intervention (clear parallels with Vietnam at the time of release), nationalism, racism, and the horrors of war. Yet for all its heavy themes, it is most successful in the depiction of its very human characters. These characters are not just the means of conveying the `messages' of the film, or fodder for the gripping and well-staged action scenes. They are individuals in their own right, involved in something far greater than their own destinies. Some are unpleasant and ignorant while others are honourable but lost in the sea of historic events surrounding them. Some, like Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), demand sympathy and respect as they struggle to come to terms with their personal challenges brought to the fore by these historically significant and politically dangerous events.

Inevitably there are slow and confusing passages as the political implications are expounded, but these are more than compensated for by our emotional engagement as we become involved in the stories of the people caught up in the political fall-out. Robert Wise's direction is strong and emotionally charged, complemented perfectly by Jerry Goldsmith's wonderfully haunting and ominous music. Steve McQueen gives what was probably the performance of his career (receiving his only Academy Award nomination), and he is supported by a wonderful cast including Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen (aged just 19), and especially Mako. But it is really McQueen's film. His very presence lifts scenes and he manages to convey authenticity and gain the sympathy of the viewer with consummate ease. Apparently misunderstood by some critics on its release, it is a powerful and intrinsically human anti-war film. It is not a happy film, but it is totally absorbing and thought provoking.