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Reviews
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Haunting movie but a flawed classic
I have always found watching this movie to be a haunting and moving experience. Having spent many years in ships' engine rooms and in the Far-East, I can almost smell the hot lube oil and steam when Jake Holman goes down to check the engines when he first comes aboard "San Pablo". This was surely one of McQueen's finest performances but it and the movie would have been much better if the reasons for conflict between Holman and the Captain had been developed further. Holman bitterly resented the fact that the Chinese crewmen had taken over the operation of the engines and knew that he could do a better job. Furthermore, he saw the engine room as HIS and resented (as do all engine room staff regardless of nationality) any interference from the Deck department. What the captain (brilliantly portrayed by Richard Crenna) wants is no trouble from the engines and as many men as possible on deck to repel borders etc. This is a legitimate position because this is what the captain is paid for. Jake knows he can run the engines better and more efficiently if he can only get into the engine room for long enough to do it. The fact that the captain settles for the status quo with the Chinese Crew is the source of the ongoing conflict between him and Jake. This is only touched on in the film when the ship has to stop in mid river and the Head Chinese engine man gets killed. I suspect that the scenes highlighting the source of conflict between Jake and the captain were actually shot but ended up on the cutting room floor. If this is so it is a pity because it is the key to Jake's behaviour when he disobeys the captain's direct order not to fire the rifle. I also thought the ending of book and movie a bit pointless, but that is probably a reflection of the anti-Vietnam war and anti-military mentality of the period. A hauntingly flawed classic.