THE SAND PEBBLES - Blu-Ray (2oth Century-Fox 1966) Fox Home Video
Director, Robert Wise missed his own party, half way
around the world shooting The Sand Pebbles (1966) when it was announced
he had won Best Director for his work on the previous season’s The Sound of
Music (1965). In accepting the award on Wise’s behalf, producer, Saul
Chaplin sincerely thanked his collaborator for a memorable working experience - one, he sincerely hoped to repeat in the near future.
Indeed, Wise had suffered for his art, under the gun from studio edicts imposed by the cash-strapped 2oth Century-Fox to wrap up ‘the happiest sound
in all the world’ and hurry the picture to preview in order to shore up the company’s
crippling debts. But now, well beyond the micromanagement of studio execs, Wise was something of a sun god in Hollywood, off to the Orient to
realize The Sand Pebbles, presumably to elevate his stature to even
greater heights. Based on Richard McKenna’s best seller, The Sand Pebbles
would be anything but smooth sailing ahead; what, with inhospitable working conditions,
inclement weather, and some marginal conflicts with star, Steve McQueen –
Wise would frequently find his creative temperament being tested.
Our story begins in China, circa 1920; a Far
East paradise, plagued by political unrest and homegrown revolutions. Into this
turbulent mix come outside forces with hidden agendas; the British, Americans,
and, perhaps most devastating of all - the missionaries (the first, only
referred, the middle - merely touched upon, and, the latter, the focus of our
story) – each invested in civilizing the Chinese, though at what price? The
Sand Pebbles’ screenplay by Robert Woodruff Anderson remains relatively faithful to
McKenna’s book. China’s political climate, circa 1960’s precluded Wise and his company from shooting on actual locations. Hence, Taiwan and Hong Kong became
stand-ins for the Yangtze. Nevertheless, the set dressings by Boris Levin and
sumptuous cinematography from Joseph MacDonald were quite successful in
recapturing the unspoiled rural splendor of the region; also, the period. Marked
as a roadshow engagement, The Sand Pebbles opens large and remains
impressively mounted throughout its lengthy 196 minutes. Alas, it failed to earn back its investment, showing a loss of more than $850,000 on the Fox ledgers,
and effectively to wipe out all of the cache and clout Wise had built up from The
Sound of Music.
For decades, Wise had pursued The Sand Pebbles
as his passion project. And despite his reputation and pedigree in Hollywood, the picture's extensive location work scared off virtually
any takers until Wise’s hit pay dirt with The Sound of Music
convinced Richard Zanuck to green-light the movie on nothing more than blind faith Wise could do no wrong again. Alas,
a monsoon in Taipei derailed the original timeline, causing The Sand Pebbles' budget to swell as Wise re-estimated it would take a little more than a year
before principal photography could begin. Fox spent $250,000 on a replica of
the gunboat San Pablo, a seaworthy vessel, actually powered by Cummins diesel
engines. After production wrapped, the San Pablo would be rechristened the Nola
D and sold to the DeLong Timber Company, and then, Seiscom Delta Exploration
Co. What was initially scheduled as 9-weeks of principle photography abroad ballooned to 7-months of hellish commando-styled film-making, with
cast and crew taking only a brief respite to celebrate Christmas in Taipei. Wise
endured many setbacks, including dangerous weather
conditions, and, the capsizing of his 15-ft. camera boat on the Keelung River,
effectively to wreck its soundboard equipment. Work was also delayed when the Republic of China withheld the passports of Steve McQueen,
his family, and several other cast members until additional taxes were paid. Three
more months in Hong Kong and Wise and his company were decidedly ready to
return to Hollywood where virtually all of the interior scenes were shot. But
here too, the production fell behind schedule as McQueen was felled by an
abscessed molar. This created a dangerous infection, necessitating several weeks of
recuperation before he could return to the set. McQueen would later claim that whatever
sins he had committed in life had been paid in full by his participation on The Sand Pebbles,
which he regarded as a hellish experience. In the end, the actor retreated into
a self-imposed seclusion for almost a year, claiming exhaustion, and, the need to
take time off. McQueen would not resurface on movie screens until 2-years
later, in back-to-back hits: The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt
(both in 1968).
The Sand Pebbles begins with the arrival of
engineer Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) aboard the USS San Pablo – a patrolling
American vessel, overseen by the ineffectual Capt. Collins (Richard Crenna).
Holman is an unassuming loner who prefers the company of steam pistons and
crank shafts to his fellow crew mates, though eventually he develops a
friendship with first mate, Frenchy (Richard Attenborough). Holman’s command is
strained with his Chinese engine crew who all but run the internal machinery of
the San Pablo at their own speed and pleasure. After the chief engineer is
killed in an accident, both the American and Chinese crew regards Holman as a
curse. Perhaps in part to lessen these suspicions, Holman promotes one of the
Chinese, Po-Han (Mako) to chief engineer, then spends the first half of the
patrol training Po in general maintenance duties. A rather awkward romance
blossoms between Holman and missionary, Shirley Eckart (Candice Bergan) who is
stationed near China Light. At the same time, Frenchy has begun to favor his
affections on Maily (Emmanuella Arsan), a captive in the brothel of corrupt
Oriental pimp, Victor Shu (James Hong). After bidding for her freedom, Frenchy
and Maily escape Shu’s wrath and are secretly married. Their joy however, is
short lived.
Threatened with retaliation from the marauding forces
of Chiang-Kai-Shek, the crew is confined to the San Pablo for the duration of
their journey. Po-Han is captured and quartered by revolutionaries, forcing
Holman to very reluctantly execute Po-Han before his torture is completed. This
mercenary act brands Holman a murderer in the eyes of the Chinese and very
nearly results in a mutiny aboard the San Pablo. With the approach of spring, the
crew restarts its river patrols. Alas, the San Pablo is ordered to return home.
Instead, Collins disobeys this direct order and travels upstream to Dongting
Lake to evacuate the anti-imperialist missionary Jameson (Larry Gates) and Shirley,
who has become his teaching assistant. Shirley and Holman rekindle the
affections for one another. However, the San Pablo must break through a heavy barricade
of junks. Alas, an ambush ensues, resulting in the deaths of 12 crewmen and
many more Chinese. Holman hacks through the blockade with an axe, forced to kill
a Chinese militiaman whom he then recognizes as a friend of Jameson and Eckert.
Collins leads Holman, Signalman 2nd Class Crosley (Gavin MacLeod), and Gunners
Mate, Bronson (Joe Turkel) ashore to the mission. Only Jameson refuses to
leave. Collins orders Holman to forcibly remove Eckert and Jameson. Instead,
Holman elects to remain behind with Eckert. Nationalist soldiers invade, murdering
Jameson and Collins, leaving Holman in command. Holman and Eckert tearfully reveal
their mutual affections, Holman promising to follow Eckert to safety. Alas, after
killing a dozen soldiers Holman is also fatally shot, muttering in
half-disbelief, “I was home. What happened. What the hell happened?” Unaware
of his demise, though suspecting as much, Eckert and her two remaining escorts
make their way safely to the San Pablo, moments before it sails away.
The Sand Pebbles is a most impressive undertaking,
its outstanding performance owed to Steve McQueen who was, in fact,
Oscar-nominated. On set, McQueen briefly
clashed with Wise – resulting in a 2-week stalemate,
finally ended after a reluctant McQueen sat in on daily rushes and pronounced Wise, a
genius. In hindsight, the merit of that assessment is no less affirmed. Despite
its shortcomings at the box office, The Sand Pebbles is widely regarded
today as a masterpiece – the last in a series of fast-fading grand spectacles
from the sixties’ and their affinity for roadshow epics, the likes of which have not returned to movie screens. No expense has been spared. Some 2000 costumes were either created or
otherwise assembled, representing an eclectic blend of American, Cantonese and
Mandarin styles. Existing streets and structures were refitted with convincing
facades to recreate 1920’s China. The net result is a handsomely exhibited actioner,
alas, with an oddly solemn and potholed bid to inveigle its war story with a
heavy-handed romance. In the vein of such earlier epics as The Bridge on the
River Kwai (1956), The Sand Pebbles sports a highly-flavored story set
in exotic locales and unusual times – the perfect backdrop for McQueen’s
unerring performance. Interestingly, Robert
Woodruff Anderson’s screenplay attempts to straddle both sides of the political activism – the Achilles’ heel of the picture, as it translates into a waffling indecisiveness.
And Wise also received his lumps from the critics who had praised him one year
before – now, calling him out for a general lack of trajectory and his genuinely methodical
pacing. Viewed today,
however, one can definitely admire Wise for his carefully timed staging. He gives
us sustained minutes to invest in these characters as people, and, in the end, rewards the
audience for their investment with a grand tragedy to continue its ripening in our hearts
long after the footlights have come up.
Fox Home Video’s Blu-Ray easily bests its previously
issued and lavishly appointed 2-disc DVD released as part of their Cinema
Classics Collection. Curiously, the 196 min. roadshow edition is absent from
the Blu-Ray, though all of its deleted scenes are offered as extras. On the
Blu-Ray we get the 183 min. theatrical cut. This exhibits vibrant colors,
stunning clarity and a considerable amount of fine detail throughout. Solid
contrast abounds, as do accurately rendered flesh tones, and, a light
smattering of film grain appearing indigenous to its source. The audio is 5.1 Dolby
Digital and suffers from a strident characteristic. Extras are direct imports from the Cinema
Classics DVD and include two comprehensive audio commentaries, and an isolated score,
featuring Jerry Goldsmith’s superb orchestrations. Also included is the rather
choppy 6-part ‘making of’ documentary, two incongruously edited tributes to
Robert Wise and Steve McQueen, plus a litany of vintage extras – trailers,
stills, press kits and radio spots. Bottom line: The Sand Pebbles is
solidly represented on Blu-ray, although, given the advances in technology
since, it would be wonderful to see a complete restoration of both theatrical
and roadshow cuts, remastered in 4K.
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
4
VIDEO/AUDIO
4
EXTRAS
4
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