Review of The Thin Red Line (1998) by Steveb95 — 23 Aug 2015

Perhaps The Thin Red Line is too long, or perhaps it isn't. That distinction lies with the individual member of the audience and their ability to leave the field of battle and be taken to somewhere more poetic and beautiful as a narrator monologues meaningful dialogue.

That being said, The Thin Red Line is like any other Terrence Malick film in that, for any flaws it has, there are plenty of positives. It is as much a film for the actors to spread their wings as it is a commemoration to the American soldiers who lost their lives in the South Pacific.

There are some truly fantastic and unforgettable performances here, from Nick Nolte, Sean Penn and Jim Cazaviel in particular. They transform faultlessly into their characters, blending into the mise en scene of the film whether the background features long grass (which Malick has always seemed to love) or explosions from incoming Japanese shells.

Above all, this is a war film to remember for its gritty realism which somehow seamlessly mixes into the poetic direction of Malick. A superb representation of one of the most dreadful, hateful and haunting wars in the history of man.