Why it did not win an Oscar?
Read it somewhere that it has to do with the fact that The Sand Pebbles conveys a strong anti-war theme, definitely not music to the ears for the Establishment. How sad if there is any truth in it.
shareI don't know why it did not win an award.
It was a suspenseful movie.
I can understand why it was popular.
But my guess is this.
The film:
• is violent
• is depressing
• has a sad ending (death scene)
I cannot remember any academy award winner which was all three.
The ending is also the end of the lead character, but not the end of the plot.
I never read the novel, but for the sake of continuity, it would have been more complete (not necessarily "better") to end the movie with the status of the SAN PABLO and the status of the conflict, so that the audience walks out of the theater with some sense of closure.
As it is, we walk out with -- what? nothing?
Those three reasons do generally work against an Oscar win. However, much more than that was as work in 1966/67 for it to not win. It was critical of US policy when Vietnam was just starting to become the controversial war which time proved it to be. Anti-establishment films generally don't win. It is a very good movie, but not necessarily considered a four star movie,despite our admiration for it. Much more highly recieved, groundbreaking, and iconoclastic films were out that year (Blow Up, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Georgie Girl). Finally, the Oscar went, as can usually be predicted, to a 'noble' more highbrow film about self sacrifice, honor, and history, A Man for All Seasons... a more palatable film for the middle classes. 'Controversy' rarely wins these things unless its a 'safe' controversy which people feel easier with...(In the Heat of the Night over Bonnie and Clyde, Gentlemen's Agreement over Crossfire, and Crash over Brokeback Mountain).
Also, in answer to your final question... I disagree... we walk out out of seeing The Sand Pebbles with plenty.... Thoughts... Insights... Points of discussion... sadness for the madness we humans create... inspiration to call it out for what it is. I don't need 'upbeat' endings for a movie to be great.