Review of The Thin Red Line (1998) by Cody U — 19 Oct 2010

This is probably one of the greatest war films ever made, simply because of how philosophically it looks at the subject. This is not Saving Private Ryan. It's not just spectacle and a bunch of gun-fire and explosions.

There are some deeply intense themes touched upon here, and some fascinating questions pondered. However, don't get me wrong, there are also some intense battle sequences in this massive film (at close to 3 hours) as well, but a majority of the film is spent following one of the many characters and listening to him think (via voice-over).

Speaking of the many characters, they are all played by very recognizable actors. This film's very large ensemble cast is quite impressive, especially considering the director, Terrence Malick, had only previously directed two important films in the '70s and then disappeared for 20 years.

All of the cast members delivered powerful performances, though. Elias Koteas and Nick Nolte were probably the two stand-outs, at least to me. Another thing about this movie is that it stays very tight with its characters, often even using POV shots, so you're right there with them, seeing the action as they do.

I quite enjoyed this technique because it felt more real than say, sweeping crane shots from way over-head. The cinematography was masterful, as was the direction. I am very happy that The Criterion Collection released a special edition of this film, not only because it brought it to my attention, but also because this film deserved a great release.

I'm glad I got to see it.