Review of The Thin Red Line (1998) by Anita H — 16 Apr 2014

The Thin Red Line, directed by Terrence Malick, is a film that fictionalises the Battle of Mount Austen: a violent confrontation between American soldiers and the Imperial Japanese, taking place during World War II. The Thin Red Line has an impressive lineup of stars including Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Elias Koteas, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, John Travolta, George Clooney, just to name a few. Although the film doesn't exactly specify who the main protaganist, Jim Caviezel and Sean Penn share the most screen time, and ultimately steal the show.

The one thing that sets The Thin Red Line apart from other contemporary war films is its philosophical viewpoint. All throughout the film there are voice-overs (from Caviezel's and Nick Nolte's characters in particular), that talk about the meaning of life and death, the origin of love, and the capricious violence of nature. These voice-overs soften the blow of the on-screen violence, and accompanied by the gorgeous cinematography of the rainforests of Queensland, Australia, plus Hans Zimmers uniquely beautiful score, the film focuses on the consequences, aftermath and the emotion of the violence we see, rather than the barbarity itself.

Some of the philosophical passages may become tiresome, and at times it seems that they're just trying to confuse you with eloquent language and abstract ideas. This is justified by the strong, authentic performances from its stars (Caviezel in particular), and the engaging dialect between the soldiers. This is a visually stunning, decidadly human epic that stops just before it becomes too much.