Ben Wright, Candice Bergen, Charles Robinson

Epic tale about the lives of crew members aboard a US gunboat, patrolling China's Yangtze River in 1926, that eventually gets caught up in the middle of that country's Civil War.

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85% liked it

4,547 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

15 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 59 min.

Directed by: Robert Wise

Release Date: January 1, 1966

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (223)


  • November 21, 2009
    An apathetic American sailor gets caught in the crossfire between ill-fated western colonialism and the Chinese revolution. A compelling drama full of passion and raw human decency, expertly directed by the legendary Robert Wise.
  • May 4, 2009
    Really really okay. Some great parts, but overall it's another one of those melodramatic war films that were popular in the 50's & 60's
  • August 24, 2008
    why is steve mcqueen mr cool? hell, i don't know. there aint much coolness exuding here. what there is, is a very slow start with a very long runtime that eventually builds into a half decent movie. mcqueen acts as well as required of his role and has his usual on screen prescence
  • December 4, 2006
    I was home. What happened? What the hell happened?

    Geez, now I'm gonna have to add Steve McQueen to my favorite actor list. Amazing how you can never seem to run out of movies to review here because you keep remembering yet another one you've seen.

    If you've not seen this

    ...( read more) movie, it's a definite must for all McQueen fans. Mako gives the performance of his career in this one as well. You see a movie like this and, if you really are one of those cynical types, you have confirmation, at least until the movie shifts out of your consciousness, that good guys always do finish last. The emptiness you feel when good-hearted Jake Holman gives up everything, all for what was a hopeless cause to begin with . . . Man, what the hell did happen? Perhaps a veiled comment not just on Vietnam, but a bold comment about the heartbreaking futility of all wars.

    Ah yes, really, you must see this in order to celebrate McQueen when he rises to a demonstration of his best abilities. I'll stick my neck out and say this is the most well-rounded performance of his entire career. Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, and Richard Attenborough all provide strong support, too, but Mako truly is amazing. You will never forget his last scene in this movie.

  • January 15, 2008
    Something of a forgotten epic. Major player in the 1966 Oscars and a major part of director Robert Wise?s career, but today not many people know about it. A story of a conflict that emerged in 1920s China, and the American sailors caught in the middle of it. It?s generally a p...( read more)retty good yarn about a period of history I haven?t heard much about. I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the racial content here, the Chinese characters are disturbingly close to being negative stereotypes and are never really given a chance to rise above this. Still, Steve McQueen holds this together and there is a really cool sea battle toward the end.
  • August 24, 2009
    Pointless, inept film.
  • August 16, 2009
    This is my favorite Steve McQueen movie ever. I loved the way how he portrayed being the "rebel" to a boat full of undisciplined lot and a laissez-faire captain. Quite a contradiction there. I always enjoyed watching the river battle of the crew and the Chinese. Cool movie al...( read more)l around.
  • August 15, 2009
    Very long but utterly absorbing film. This is probably Steve McQueen's best performance as a sailor who is followed by trouble no matter where he goes. And Richard McKenna as the suicidal captain who wants to go out in a blaze of military glory...he even sacrifices some of his me...( read more)n in a great battle scene as his ship attempts to break a blockade. Romance, tragedy, politics, exotic locations, war, heroism--this movie has everything. It is a must-see.

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  • July 30, 2009
    Candice Bergen is a 10 in this one.
  • July 8, 2009
    an exellent great epic tale!

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