The Thin Red Line

Rating:
Summary: These other reviewers are pretty stupid
Review: Although it might be argued that Malick was in over his head--doubtful, when you consider that he spends his Sundays translating Heidegger--the film is still head and shoulders above the mass of war movies made today. If anything, this film does not suffer from lack of continuity, but too much of it. Given the scrutiny under which this movie was released, I think Malick might have felt obliged to include more story than was necessary or even healthy to the ambience. The Thin Red Line is about war in the same way that Thomas Hardy's war poems are about war--they do not give any answer as pat as "War is Hell." Instead, they give you the Verfremdungseffekt, the distance to realize that war is silly. The Thin Red Line succeeds gracefully where Malick always does, in the images. But his reliance on endless voice-overs, mannered here instead of the artless irony of his earlier movies, seems heavy-handed. "How do we get to those blue hills, to those other shores" is not the most eloquent poetry I've ever heard, and falls flat next to any image taken at random from the movie. Still, a luxurious and engrossing movie.

Rating:
Summary: This ain't Saving Private Ryan.
Review: The biggest reason that people like '...Private Ryan' better then '...Red Line' is that Speilberg's flick was the war story everyone wanted to hear.First we can see that Speiberg's 'Saving Private Ryan' has a real simple story that everyone can understand.But Malick's 'The Thin Red Line' is a flick which has a poetic story that people don't want to here about.To make it simple,we can say that saving Private Ryan is a flick that tells you that 'Everyone who fought the war was a brave soldier.Let's give a salute to them'.But in 'The Thin Red Line'we can say 'The people who makes war are full of madness.How can we make reperation for those dead soldiers.Please,no more war.' These are the difference between these two flix.Why the hell did the Academy's gave the best picture to 'Shakspeare in Love'!!!!!Those guys are real mad.And I just want to say a word to some people.There's a war occuring in Europe right now.Those people and the people in the United States,especially president Clinton should see this film.

Rating:
Summary: a subtle and involving war picture unike anything you...
Review: Powerful war epic in the tradition of "Apacolypse Now" is a subtle and involving war picture unlike anything in recent memory. Director Terrance Malick's lush visual style (enhanced by John Toll's glorious eye popping cinematography) is complimented by a terrific ensemble and splendid Hans Zimmer musical score. A rare and emotional cinematic event that holds its own next to its reigning box office competitor (Saving Private Ryan).

Rating:
Summary: well made thought provoker
Review: I spent my childhood in the part of North Queensland (Australia) where much of TTRL was filmed, and part of my adult life in villages of the Solomon Islands. As well I have walked the beaches and hills where the battles of Guadalcanal were fought. I therefore looked forward to the release of this film but was prepared to be critical of its settings. However, I can say that Malick did a wonderful job of splicing the tropical grassy hills,the jungle and coastline of N.Q. with village scenes of the Solomons and give a realistic picture of what Guadalcanal is like. Top marks. The opening scene in the Solomon village brought tears to my eyes. I was there! My adult son who had been a child in the Solomons felt the same.He said the scene was so familiar, it was eerie. One error to me was the portrayal of the Solomon woman- it is most unlikely that in 1942 (a) she would be wearing a dress, (b)she would be speaking English, (c)she would be conversing freely with an American soldier in a village. Even today this would probably not be the case. However, not to be too critical, I enjoyed the beauty and the slow pace of the film. It was deeply thought provoking, beautifully filmed and had a wonderful soundtrack.All my family enjoyed this film, though one colleague walked out half way through. If you are after "Rambo Returns" or even "Private Ryan" you will probably be disappointed- this is not a movie for those who need to be mindlessly entertained.

Rating:
Summary: Is there too much money in the USA?
Review: The movie Thin Red Line has proven that the overall American economy is doing well in the USA! Why else would people be willing to throw perfectly good money away by paying to see this movie, if there wasn't an abundance of personal discretionary cash!. I liken Thin Red Line to a potent general anesthetic. On opening day, I actually heard someone snoring in the movie theatre, while a group of teens sitting next to me decided to do homework while watching this movie. On exiting, I heard a father tell his son that if he didn't clean his room, he would be forced to come back and watch this thing again. Cruel punishment no doubt. Overall folks, this was a very boring waste of a movie.( I can hear the Director saying "got you" all the way to the bank!)

Rating:
Summary: Caution- May cause drowsiness
Review: First of all, THIS IS NOT a "Saving Private Ryan" genre movie. To sum it up, it is a celluloid calamity. Truly, one of this decade's greatest movie making fiascos. All of the elements were there for a truly great movie- beautiful setting, human drama, even gifted actors. Why then, did it fail? The director was far in above his head (or talent or ability). The anemic moralization of an immoral subject (war) is tricky at best, and Thin Red Line is a D- in terms of meaning and storyline. A sorry disappointment. This movie crossed the thin red line over onto the dung heap of truly bad movies.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, elegiac poem about nature, love, and war
Review: Terrence Malick is a director with an endearing eye for visual poetry. His adaptation of James Jones' "The Thin Red Line" beautifully contrasts the terror of war with the utter beauty of nature and love (the flashbacks of one soldier's lost girlfriend - acted beautifully by the gorgeous Miranda Otto - are sweet and heart-breaking). Malick has constructed a cinematic poem using the backdrop of tall, green grass and the blood which stains its blades. He is commenting on the way in which war tears apart the things we cherish: love, nature, freindship, and life. The cinematography, as with Malick's earlier "Days of Heaven", is breathtaking and powerfull. This is one of the most beautifull films I have ever seen (the last shot of a single, lonely coconut laying in the sand is simply brilliant). Beautifull!!!

Rating:
Summary: Less Artsy More Fartsy
Review: I went to see thin red line expexting to see another Saving Private Ryan. But I was extremely dissapointed, The Jappanese were pictured as sniveling cowards happy to surrender at the first oppertunity. That is exactly the opposite of every thing I have read seen or heard about bushido. The film appered to have a deeper meaning bu it was either a farce or it went over my head. The characters started off interesting but they developed none what so ever in the three hours in which the film dragged on, because they were to busy not talking to each other or acting depressed. I know combat is no laughing matter but in every thing I have ever seen or read about war time portrayed that the men were not immune to laughing ,joking, or for that matter talking to each other. Another thing is why was the director afraid to show the true carnage of war, because that's what made Saving Private Ryan so great, The two second shot of the man who was shot in the throat calling for his mother said more than all three hours of this movie did. Don't get me wrong I loved both the book and the original 1964 movie but this movie should have gone for brute reality frathe than a poetic meaning. Finally what the heck is George Clooney doing in a war film.

Rating:
Summary: An awesome intellectual movie
Review: The Thin Red line is one of the finest thought provoking movies to grace the screens in a long time. If you want to see mind-numbing blood and gore don't watch this movie, you won't understand it. However, if you enjoy a movie that challenges your thought process, then see this movie. The Thin Red Line will make you think about the futility and purpose of love, life and war.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Underrated
Review: Anyone who does not like this movie is too stupid to understand it. The poetic nature of it is too highminded for the thick headed. This is one of the best war movies ever made. It is more about the characters.