nunia
[个人文集]
加入时间: 2005/11/04
文章: 2184
经验值: 5079
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作者：nunia 在 寒山小径 发贴, 来自 http://www.hjclub.org
Navy engineer Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) finds himself surrounded by conflict when, during the Chinese revolution of the 1920s, he's assigned to an American gunboat in the Yangtze River. His cynical and antagonistic personality has ensured his status as a loner, and the political situation creates more questions than answers. This epic and romantic drama from The Sound of Music director Robert Wise earned multiple Oscar nominations.
An anti-war film that struck at the heart of American foreign policy. The weapons, an aging gunboat, one dysfunctional crew, a gung-ho captain and one anti-hero. The strike is a final thrust deep into China to rescue the American missionaries at China Light. A utopian complex where a China sailor can live free and peacefully with the nice girl from middle America. The film received a ton of nominations and not one win. It was not yet cool to be against government policy and war in 1966. The Vietnam War raged and interfering with the internal affairs of nations and flag waving was good policy. The film takes place in 1920's China, released in 1960's America and re-watched in 2002 America. No matter how things change they still remain the same. Steve is cool, Canndice is sweet,innocent and full of the idealism of youth, Crenna, acting like John Wayne, steals all his scenes and Mako is phenomenal. Rent this movie, it's a great adventure yarn with a message. Best Line: "Nice girls don't talk to China sailors."
This is truly my all time favorite film and not just because of the wonderful performances by McQueen, Crenna, Mako and the rest, but because I had an opportunity to experience the Asia culture first hand (during Viet Nam) and the depiction of the culture and the climate of the land is right on. I rank McQueen's performance right up there with my favorite Newman's performance in "Cool Hand Luke". Basically, the same type of a character, a loner challenging the boundries of their society's limits. It was a shame that the movie was released the same year as "A Man for All Seasons", because McQueen should have received and Oscar for this performance. I now own this video and I make a point of watching it once a year.
Not to say that this film influenced me, but about a year and a half after its release I enlisted in the Navy. I had read the book at the age of 15, when it was serialized in the Saturday Evening post, and loved it. The movie script is not an exact transcript of the book, but is a faithful interpretation of it (I recently re-read it). The male ensemble cast is a big reason that this film works. Several of Holman's shipmates are played by men who were stars in their own right, and having that foundation added great depth to the film. The coarse humor and grabass behavior are VERY true to life, as is the depiction of sailors on liberty. It must be remembered that the 1920's were not a time when men enlisted in the service to earn money for college, or to learn a trade. The enlisted ranks were made up of men for whom life in the service was an improvement upon the standard of living from which they'd come, and they were almost all lifers. The "Army, Navy, or jail" choice given Jake Holman motivated many an enlistment as recently as the 1960's, and may still. The music in this film is another big reason that it works. The hauntingly beautiful main theme grabs me every time I hear it, and adds to the telling of the story. This is one of my all-time favorite films, and every adult should see it.
The fact that I'm giving this film three stars in no way undermines my appreciation of this film for being what it is: a thoroughly engrossing war story which doesn't once drag despite it's three-hour-running time. I liked this film, and it's the type of film you can put your feet up, kick back, relax, and enjoy. My criticism is based on the fact that unless one is familiar with what was going on in China during the 1920's, the viewer will be puzzled just to why an American gunboat would be assigned to China's Yangtze River during a time of political and militaristic upheaval. Perhaps the novel on which the film is based- which I have not read- delved deeper into the political machinations of the period. The film works and revolves around the star power of Steve McQueen, who continues his signature cinematic portrayals of the laconic loner, a difficult, hard-to-figure-out guy, who would do anything for a friend, but at the same time, can't seem to stay out of trouble. Director Robert Wise thoroughly absorbs us into life aboard this Navy gunboat, as we share the triumphs and eventual tragedies witnessed and experienced by these men. McQueen is supported admirably by Richard Crenna as the captain constantly at odds with McQueen, Richard Attenborough as a soft-spoken fellow seaman, the Oscar-nominated Mako in an all-to-brief role as a humble Chinese man who meets tragedy, and a young Candice Bergen who is given too little to do but serve as an attractive female face. Wise does a fine job recreating the period, as evidenced by the Oscar-nominated art direction and sets. The film culminates in a well directed assault on a fortified palace- shot at night- as a team of men from the ship attempt to rescue missionaries held captive by Chinese extremists who personify the growing resentment with the continued American occupation. A fine action-adventure-war story.
I read the book, "The Sand Pebbles" when I was in jr. high school and really liked this story. Everything in this story seemed as if it was real to life, from the main characters, to the Chinese people, their culture, the civil conflict going on at the time, and to the American military presence there trying to maintain some sort of influence while trying to maintain neutrality. The film adaptation was well done and brought the elements from the story to life for the big screen with a gritty realism. Although details are always lost from a book when adaptated into a film, it's still good nonetheless. Steve McQueen portrays a lone maverick, who proves that no actor could out do him in the cool department, is assigned to an American navy gunboat patroling the Yangtze River in 1920's China during a time of civil upheaval. While the crew seems to have it made with their Chinese servant coolies doing most of the work for them, good things never seem to last and conflict arises for the Capt. and crew when the Capt. decides upon a rogue course to save some American missionaries from possible harm in the interior of China. Very good production values, with McQueen's character well developed. An involving plot that draws in the viewer.
作者：nunia 在 寒山小径 发贴, 来自 http://www.hjclub.org |
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