Actors: Steve McQueen, Richard
Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, Mako, Simon Oakland, Larry Gates,
Emmanuel Arsan
Rating: 7 out of 10, One tends to
forget as time has passed what a huge movie star Steve McQueen was. I watched this
last night and was struck by his screen presence, reminded why he was such a
big deal. The epic movie is a slimly disguised polemic against the US
involvement in Vietnam transferring the issues of that conflict to 1920s China.
McQueen plays a disinterested sailor on a gunboat that’s soon drawn into the
conflict surrounding foreign involvement in China and the Nanking Incident. The
gunboat gets poignantly dirtier and rustier as the crew succumbs to the conflicting
themes. McQueen befriends and trains a young coolie only to have to shoot him when
he is tortured by his own people. The movie stands up well to time although it’s
way over the top in beating the viewer about the head and shoulders about the
evils of imperialism. Interestingly the “infamous” Emmanuel plays a supporting role
in this as Attenborough’s love interest.
MVP: McQueen in one of his best roles ever
as Homan
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