The Sand Pebbles: A war epic

Release Date : December 20, 1966
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Duration: 3h 2m
Rating: 3.75/5
Director Richard Wise
WriterRobert Anderson
Produced byRobert Wise
StarsSteve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen
Cinematography              Joseph MacDonald
Edited by             William Reynolds
Music by              Jerry Goldsmith
Production Design byBoris Leven
Production companies20th Century Fox

“The system you got on this ship is what killed him, sir” – Jake Holman

What is it about

The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 American epic war film directed by Robert Wise in Panavision. It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy machinist’s mate (Jake Holman), first class, aboard the fictional river gunboat USS San Pablo, on Yangtze Patrol in 1920s China. 

Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) just wants to be a good engineer and is best happy with the machines. However, troubles erupt when his nature collides with events around him, on the ship and on the shore. Will he find his haven? Will his new romance help him tide over the rough seas of war?

‘The Sand Pebbles ‘takes us through this journey of epic proportions.

Thumbs up

Lavish Scale
Excellence in all crafts

Thumbs down

Over 3 hours duration

Final verdict

The movie doesn’t disappoint a patient viewer and succeeds in transporting him/her to an a long gone by era. All actors do a fabulous job, especially Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, who give their all for the role that secured several Award nominations. Excellent production design, cinematography and music makes the movie an engaging fare.

Management Concepts/ Lessons/ References

“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.”
W. Edwards Deming

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
― Dalai Lama

Gattaca: An episode from a Gene-altered future

Release Date : October 24, 1997
Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Duration: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: 3.75/5
Director Andrew Niccol
WriterAndrew Niccol
Produced byDanny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Gail Lyon
StarsEthan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law
Cinematography              Sławomir Idziak
Edited by             Lisa Zeno Churgin
Music by              Michael Nyman
Production Design byJan Roelfs
Production companiesColumbia Pictures, Jersey Films

“For the genetically superior, success is easier to attain, but is by no means guaranteed. After all, there is no gene for fate.” – Vincent

What is it about

‘Gattaca’ is set in the future, where everyone is genetically modified before his or her birth, to live a perfect life. Such people are termed as ‘valids’. Vincent was born the natural way and his genetic profile indicates a high probability of several disorders and an estimated lifespan of 30.2 years. This makes him an ‘invalid’ and genotype profiling relegates him to menial jobs. He is declared unfit for several professions, including his only dream of his life—that of space travel.  He leaves his family behind including that of a brother who is a ‘valid’.  

Will Vincent do what is necessary to achieve his dream, with masquerading as someone else included? Or will it prove too big for an invalid who is forced to work as a cleaner at the spaceflight conglomerate Gattaca Aerospace Corporation? And will his path cross again with his estranged brother?  This sci-fi, thriller has the answers.

Thumbs up
Original Premise
Production Design
Lead Characters

Thumbs down

A bit tedious at times
Lacks emotional quotient in some scenes
Simplistic resolution

Final verdict

The writers employ an original premise and bring in the familiar elements like family relationships, love and intrigue. And they succeed at that. Nicely done production design and cinematography, believable acting makes the movie an engaging fare.

Management Concepts/ Lessons

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Understanding the Bollywood boycott phenomenon

But how effective are these boycott calls? Industry spokespersons downplay the impact, pointing to the minuscule universe they influence. Recent numbers from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology show that WhatsApp has more than 53 crore users, YouTube about 45 crore, Facebook nearly 41 crore, and Instagram, 21 crore. Twitter, where much of the boycott calls originate and go viral, has a user base of only 2.3 crore. “Boycott’s impact on the box office is an unsubstantiated story,” said Gautam Jain, partner in Ormax Media, a media analytics and consultancy firm in Mumbai. “All kinds of films have faced boycotts; some worked and some didn’t.” 

Complete Article here–>