Review of The Thin Red Line (1998) by Kenneth L — 02 Jul 2011

This is a weirdly difficult movie to talk about. On the one hand, it's clearly the work of a genuine artist. It's the first movie I've seen from Terrence Malick, and he's a true original. Many filmmakers, even great ones, usually have discernible influences from other filmmakers and genres, but not Malick. He seems to exist on a plane all his own. On the other hand, I don't think this movie entirely succeeds in what it's trying to do.

It's ostensibly the story of the battle of Guadalcanal in World War II, but it's not terribly concerned with the actual historical specifics of the battle. Instead, the movie seems more like an occasion for Terrence Malick to use the war for his mediation on the meaning of life. There's a very large cast of actors, most of whom are very famous, but only about four of them get to appear in more than a couple of scenes. Nick Nolte gets the best part as an aggressive colonel; Jim Caviezel seems detached and almost angelic as a private; Sean Penn is pretty good as a cynical sergeant; and Elias Koteas is good as a more sensitive sergeant who doesn't like risking his men's lives. Other famous actors - Adrien Brody, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, John Travolta, George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, John C. Reilly - fade in and out of the movie without the chance to make much impression.

The film doesn't rigorously follow any strong storyline, but kind of drifts along in a dreamlike fashion. Its perspective seems detached from that of any particular character. We sometimes get voiceovers from the characters that supposedly reveal their inner thoughts, but they are abstract philosophical musings that don't actually make much sense in context. These soldiers can't really be wondering things like, "Where does love come from? What is this evil inside of us?" And the movie doesn't really explore these philosophical questions either, I don't think - it just poses them, and then moves on. I don't think the voiceover parts are adequately well-integrated into the fabric of the film.

That being said, Malick certainly is a strong director visually. John Toll's excellent cinematography helps. The film contains some of the most evocative shots of tall grass that I've ever seen, and there are some really impressively directed shots that move along hillsides and through the chaotic battles. There are beautiful nature shots too, of animals and trees and sunlight. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is absolutely indispensable to the film's effect, as well. Unlike Zimmer's more typical action-y movie scores, this one seems ethereal and spiritual, almost like devotional church music. It's one of the best scores he's written, and helps make the movie feel like it's taking place on some more elevated plane of existence. This movie is usually compared to Saving Private Ryan, which came out in the same year. Overall, the films are trying different things, but I do think Saving Private Ryan is the more ultimately successful and powerful movie. Still, although this film doesn't 100% work, it's a worthwhile and unique experience.