Review of The Thin Red Line (1998) by Alex R — 14 Nov 2011

Considering that this is a war film set during the Second World War, you'd think that The Thin Red Line would be a sweeping epic with grand battles and that it would have a great story. Unfortunately despite the sweeping visuals, Terrence Malick just can't deliver with this one.

I was greatly disappointed with The Thin Red Line. The film, despite the fact that it had stunning visuals, really didn't have anything to offer the viewer. Terrence Malick goes for a visual sense of telling the story with minimal dialogue, and unfortunately, it doesn't work, and The Thin Red Line ends up being a boring film with barely any character development or an effective plot development.

The fact that it's a three hour film, and that it has nothing to offer considering the fact that the film is a war film set in the Pacific is a great disappointment. If you're expecting a grand war film with great characters, a stunning plot and a constant sense of dread, like with every other war film as the character try to survive their ordeal; you won't get that here.

This film is too long, it takes a long time for anything interesting to happen, and there's barely anything good about this film. The film could have been great, instead it's a disappointment.

Terrence Malick is a great director, unfortunately The Thin Red Line isn't really engaging, and you lose interest because the film is stuck in first gear and doesn't go anywhere. If you're looking for a great war film, The Thin Red Line isn't that film.

Watch Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket instead. This is simply a boring film trying to be a great war film, and it misses the mark on so many levels.