"Hawaii" and "The Sand Pebbles"

My Top Ten project has brought me to the films of 1966. And I've had to face the uncomfortable truth that the further back in time I go, the more problematic portrayals of minorities in American films I find. In the films I've watched lately, these have ranged from the peculiar, like the curious use of blackface in "Finian's Rainbow," to the outright racist, like the Chinese kidnappers in "Thoroughly Modern Millie." However, there is a clear progressive sentiment running throughout many projects, and pains are often taken, however clumsily, to try and humanize the foreign Other.

That brings us to two epic historical films of 1966 that have been mostly forgotten, as neither are very good, but share one notable thing in common. Both received Academy Award nominations in the supporting actor categories, for performances by minority actors. Mako, as the boiler room worker Po Han, in "The Sand Pebbles," gave a rare positive portrayal of a Chinese character. Then there was Jocelyne LaGarde as Malama Kanakoa, the leader of the Hawaiian island where missionaries arrive to convert the population in "Hawaii." She was the first actress of indigenous descent to be nominated for an acting Oscar.

Both "The Sand Pebbles" and "Hawaii" are films that would never be made today for a variety of reasons. "The Sand Pebbles" was Robert Wise's passion project, about the involvement of a gunboat, nicknamed "the Sand Pebble," and her crew, during the start of the Chinese Civil War in the 1920s. It initially strikes an almost apologetic tone, as it addresses the mess that Western colonialism has made of China, and includes a stridently anti-imperialist character, the missionary Jameson (Larry Gates). However, the action stays with our protagonist Holman (Steve McQueen), a machinist aboard the Sand Pebble, and his efforts to work in the curious system that has developed between the soldiers and the boat's Chinese laborers.

Subplots include Holman training and befriending Po Han after initial reluctance, another soldier falling in love with a Chinese woman, and rising tensions as the political situation heats up, turning popular sentiment against the Westerners. The first half of "The Sand Pebbles" is fairly entertaining as it examines the seedy ecosystem of the gunboats and port towns, where commerce caters to the sailors. The Chinese characters are largely stereotypes, but a few can be viewed as heroic figures. Mako gets a fantastic boxing sequence where he has to go up against an American bully to keep his job. However, once the larger hostilities develop, the story becomes far more muddled. Nobody ever bothers to explain the conflict in any detail, and despite some good action sequences, the movie drags terribly through the second half of its interminable three plus hour running time.

"Hawaii" is similarly a film with good intentions, but considerably worse execution. Christian missionary Reverend Abner Hale (Max von Sydow) and his new wife Jerusha (Julie Andrews) come to Hawaii in the early 1800s to convert and civilize the native Hawaiians. Reverend Hale is a joyless, inflexible, zealot who sees sin everywhere, and the film is largely concerned with showing how Hale's marriage and his time with the Hawiians, lead by Malama and her son Keoki (Manu Tupou), eventually soften his outlook. For the vast majority of the running time, however, Reverend Hale is an insufferable ass of a man, and my favorite part of the movie was when Malama responds to his early attempt to shame her by simply slapping him upside the head and then ignoring him. An incredibly charismatic presence, Jocelyne LaGarde steals the movie and is almost worth sitting through the film to see her.

I say almost, because aside from Legarde's performance, "Hawaii" is remarkably off-putting. I've generally enjoyed Max von Sydow and especially Julie Andrews in their other film roles. However, their characters here are so glum and miserable, it's difficult to stay engaged. Reverend Hale's spiritual journey is a bore. Andrews' big moment is a harrowing childbirth scene. Individual Hawaiian characters are treated sympathetically, and there's some lip service paid to their disastrous exploitation by Westerners, but they remain firmly supporting roles with little real agency. It's a given that the Hawaiians will all be saved by becoming good Christians in the end. The movie also suffers from an overlong running time - again, over three hours.

Both of these productions were expensive prestige pictures with big stars and notable directors. Audiences were receptive, and both films were among the top five grossers of 1966. That's the reason I sought them out. It's fascinating to see how far Hollywood has come in portraying characters from other cultures, and the kind of patronizing nonsense that they used to get away with. And yet, while I might complain about the subservience of Po Han or Malama being used for some easy laughs, these were rare chances for minority actors to shine, and the parts were created by filmmakers who were earnestly trying to do right by them. It's no accident that they are far and away the most impressive and memorable parts of their respective films.

Mako never got a comparable role, even though he was active in film and television for the next forty years. Jocelyne LaGarde, however, never appeared in another film. "Hawaii" is her lone acting credit.