Rating: 
Summary: Tantalizing
Review: Having been released during a great film year (Shakespeare in Love, Life is Beautiful, Private Ryan...), I thought that this was a diamond amongst gems. No, it is NOT a typical shoot-em-up action-packed war movie, so don't buy it if you expect a "traditional" Hollywood plot, and NO, this is NOT a "feel-good" movie! However, I think this is an extremely gorgeous film; the cinematography is superb and you will be rewarded for purchasing the widescreen version. Moreover, any individual who considers themself a philosopher, student of life, and/or citizen of the world will find in The Thin Red Line a rewarding journey through the nature of human behavior and the meaning of our existence. I am not a veteran and I cannot judge the accuracy of how the film depicts WWII in the Pacific, but I firmly believe that Malick has given us a remarkabale opportunity to pause, reflect, and rethink the way we will ensue with our lives. Bring an open mind to this film; it will challenge you.
Rating: 
Summary: One star from a mouth breather
Review: I could only give this a one star rating. I was hoping to find a war movie (surprise surprise) Gomer Pyle USMC was more warlike than this philosophical lovefest. It is true that there is a place for both genres in this world, but those that enjoy war movies are not going to enjoy this type of movie. I can sit down and enjoy a 3 hour movie that kills a couple of people (with boredom), but I don't want my war movies like that. I don't want my westerns like that, I don't want my action adventure movies like that. If Terrence wants to take off 20 more years to recover, be my guest. Keep you long winded opinions to yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good movie, but the greatest? I dunno...
Review: I am apparently in a tiny minority of people who neither thought this movie stunk to high heaven, nor was the best movie ever made. Heck, I don't even think it was the best war movie ever made. (That honor goes to "All Quiet on the Western Front", with honorable mentions to "Paths of Glory" and "The Longest Day." If you're expecting a war movie (or even an anti-war movie) in its conventional sense, you're in for a disappointment. There is no part for John Wayne in this film, nor for Frank Sinatra or Robert Mitchum. (Maybe Gary Cooper, James Stewart, or Henry Fonda could have got in though.) On the plus side, the cinematography is some of the most beautiful ever filmed. The lush green scenery is used to good effect here. By the way, comparing this movie to "Saving Private Ryan" just they're both WWII films is beside the point. That's kind of like comparing tomatoes and watermelons just because they're both kinds of fruit.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This is a wonderful and unique film. Martin Scorcese said (on Roger Ebert's show) that he thinks it is one of the ten best films of the 1990's! (To all those giving this movie one star...are you superior to Martin Scorcese? The man Marlon Brando called the greatest living director! )
Rating:
Summary: + Five Stars More
Review: I watched TRL again. Although I have never personally served in the military, I can only relate to those whom I have been fortunate to know who have served. My Dad served in the 7th Infantry 184th Company E and fought in the South Pacific. It was difficult for him to speak of the war as he lost many friends there and saw things that he hoped I would never see. I wish he were still here to see this film. From what he did eventually tell me about his encounters during the battles in the Marshall Islands, Philippines and Okinawa seems to ring true in this spectacle. The psychological/physical stress, the endless waiting around before seeing action, the atmosphere in crowded /hot troop transports, the danger of boarding landing crafts from a rope net, expecting a battle on a beachfront and finding no one there only to find yourself eventually facing an enemy well dug in whom you can not see. All of it, including the reflection on loved ones left behind. This film, like no other war movie I have seen shows all of this and more. It is uneven, yes. However, I can only imagine how uneven and unpredictable one must become when at one moment one finds themselves pumping adrenalin to dodge bullets/bombs/death and the relief or breakdown to those who are left to survive. Finally, I believe this film honors those brave men, including my Dad who served in the South Pacific. War is inherited in human nature. Wars effect on those who have had the unfortunate timing to experience it is not a humane thing. TRL speaks to that theme especially and beautifully.
Rating:
Summary: Typical "artsy" war film that ignores all realities.
Review: This movie is a typical modern war film, produced only to drive home an inaccurate and completely false account of a battle that cost too many real lives. Historically incorrect, this films worst sin is that it forces the ideology of todays elitists into a film about a battle that occurred during a time few of the men fighting had any of the doubts that the actors portray. Buy the movie if you want to feel good about how much you hate the military, but any other serious war film fans should stay away. And as a nod to the individuals that rated this as a glorious film and made disparaging remarks as to the intellectual capacity of those who dare think other than they, yes, we one stars do read. And some of us have lived war, not watched it.
Rating:
Summary: Thin Red Line vs. Private Ryan
Review: These two films have been one of the most compared films in recent memory. The majority of moviegoers who see either Thin Red Line or Saving Private Ryan pick the latter as the superior film, but I assure you almost all educated, experienced moviegoers prefer Thin Red Line. Personally, I prefer Red Line. It may not be as brutal, realistic or emotional as Saving Private Ryan, hell it Ryan may even be the better film, but Thin Red Line was an original film. Instead of taking the normal bloody route great war films usually take, it took the poetic, much more intellectual path. Also, like "Contact", it explored and questioned the true value of human life and nature of living things, while Ryan made its own conclusions with in-your-face Hollywood situations and left little room for true discussion. Terrence Malick may well be the next Stanley Kubrick. His quiet, beautiful, confident attempt at storytelling in this film reminded me of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece that hopefully won't be forgotten
Review: This film does for war movies (even anti-war ones)what The Unforgiven did for westerns: dymothologizes them to the point where there is no need for anyone to bother making any more except to educate about a specific historical conflict. Besides the exquisite cinematography, haunting music and moving performances it goes beyond the obvious horror of war in several respects: soldiers play their roles and reveal their characters in how they come to grip with what is expected of them...but we also become aware of their inner selves, something that cannot be inferred simply from outward behavior; the suffering of the Japanese soldiers is considered as well as that of American soldiers...though certainly not in as much depth; the pointlessness of war as a human activity. Perhaps the harmony of non-human nature and low tech societies are romanticized excessively, but I can't say I minded. I just wish it received more attention when it came out.
Rating:
Summary: Why so many low scores?
Review: I felt this movie deserved much more merit than 1 star. So it's long, boo hoo. Take a breather halfway through it and come back later to finish it. It is possbile to watch movies like you read books(or do you 1 stars not read?). This movie is not only origional in concept but a thought provoking movie. Drawn out scences are purposely like so to reflect upon the moment. To take in the scenery much like the portrayed soldiers did. I'm most surprised that people have not mentioned the obvious Christ-like figure played by Private Witt. He is the withstanding believer surrounded by Hell, and (SPOILER) sacrafices his life for the safety of his company(END SPOILER). Don't rent this expecting an all-out action flick. Clarification: Saving Private Ryan(SPR) is an action film, this is a drama. Apparently many reviewers were not aware of this before watching it and very closemindedly destroyed the film for (heaven forbid) time constraints and lack of action. SPR is comparable in a completely different genre of movies. It's not an all-out bore though. The movie has well spaced action sequences to keep the movie flowing. The truth about war is that it's not all action as SPR may have mis-interpretted. I am in no way bashing SPR because, like I mentioned, it is good on it's own merits. This entire film is fancied with highly impressive performances by Nolte, Penn, Cusack, and many others. I especially like how Sean Penn and Private Witt perform the entire dramatic appeal of SPR in a five minute argument about how much one human life was worth in war. It almost makes a mockery of Speilberg's falling dramatic attempts in his recent drama films. Schindler's List is one of my favorite films of all time. Amistad is somewhere in the middle to upper. SPR is not even on the list. It's next to Star Wars in the action category. It doesn't feel right ending this review on that note but alas I must stop. Thin Red Line is a brilliant film that is as cinematic as it is thought provoking. By all means rent it before you buy it. But my recommendation to serious film fans is to buy ASAP.
Rating:
Summary: A free form essay....
Review: While the book focusses mainly on the thoughts of the cowardly Corporal Fife, the film successfully manages to float between the thoughts of around eight of the soldiers seamlessly. On comparison between the book and the film (which are inevitable), you'll notice that the characters in the film are far more romantic than they were in the book. I feel this greatly helps add to Malicks' celluloid masterpiece as the characters innate spirituality blends perflects with John Tolls fantastic cinematography. YOU MUST WATCH THIS FILM IN WIDESCREEN. While Private Ryan and many other war films concentrate on plot, TTRL focuses on the characters plight and in understanding the emotions of the characters you will understand the film. This film also boasts a fine score by Hans Zimmer, again neatly sidestepping all of the usual war film cliches. Unfortunately, this cinematic tour de force is only hampered by the poor DVD it is supplied on - i.e. no directors commentry or deleted scenes. No discussion of the production and how the focus of the film moved from Fife to Witt. This would have been of great interest. Otherwise buy it, watch it...love it.
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