The Sand Pebbles (1966)

Another Steve McQueen Classic!
Steve McQueen was a brilliant actor who was taken from us much too soon. His range as a performer was second to none. I loved The Sand Pebbles because it is a great movie and an excellent adaptation of the novel. A story of a simple sailor (McQueen) whose existence was limited to taking good care of his ship's engine and staying out of life's way... at first. But life became very complicated as Jake interacted with his shipmates, the young Chinese man Jake taught to run the engine and the beautiful, naive missionary (Candice Bergen)who was able to relate to qualities in him that Jake had given up on long ago. And history got in everyone's way. This story takes place against the backdrop of a very turbulant time in China's history. This is an action film, a war movie, a romance story, a historical depiction and a journey of self awareness all in one. I was very pleased with the packaging and written information that came with these DVDs. This movie is a must have.

Great Movie, Great Story, and Entertaining
This is a great movie. I have seen this movie when I was a kid, and I thought it was boring. This week I watched the movie again, and was pleasantly surprised. The acting was good all-around. Even Mcqueen's acting was actually half-way decent. The story was a good one, and reflected the social undercurrents in which it was filmed. So, what you get is a socially conscious movie that isn't too unfriendly. So get this one and enjoy.

Navy men will appreciate
Navy men like me, formerly, will see themselves in Jake (McQueen) and wish they were young again and doing what he did in the 1920s.