The Thin Red Line Movie Review

The Thin Red Line (1998)

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Written by: James Jones (novel), Terrence Malick (screenplay)
Directed by: Terrence Malick
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Kirk Acevedo, Mark Boone Junior, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Thomas Jane, Elias Koteas, Jared Leto, Tim Blake Nelson, John C. Reilly, John Savage, Nick Stahl, John Travolta
Rated: R
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Plot
Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.

Verdict
It's a rumination on war from the viewpoint of numerous characters. This doesn't feel like the typical war movie because it doesn't have one protagonist. Having numerous big name actors in this serves as one way to differentiate characters that don't claim much screen time. Like many of Malick's movies this is a collection of images that blends a story with nature documentary. It manages to capture a train of thought and a feeling that few movies ever can. This goes beyond a movie, the documentary aspects give it an artistic flair that only Malick can execute.
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Review
This is the movie that made me a fan of Terrence Malick movies. This one was his return to film making after a twenty year absence. As you can tell by the number of actors in the movie, a lot of people wanted to be a part of this movie. Most big name actors of the 90s were in contact with Malick for a part.

This one and A New World are my favorites from Malick. His movies after this one embraced his stream of consciousness style even more. His movies are a a collection of images, sounds, and emotions that aren't for everyone because they aren't a typical movie. That doesn't always work. While I liked A Hidden Life, Song to Song and Knight of Cups pushed the style too far into the abstract.

The opening scenes on the beach remind me a bit of Saving Private Ryan, but that feels like a traditional movie. The Thin Red Line is more abstract, a glimpse of different characters as we delve into their heads. There isn't a heroic mission. Soldiers follow detrimental orders.

My first Malick movie was The New World, and I didn't like it. I didn't know what it was. It had very little plot and at times felt like a nature documentary. At some point later I watched The Thin Red Line and The New World clicked. I went back to watch it, and I really liked it, more than The Thin Red Line. This is the movie that made me a Malick fan. While his movies often push what a traditional movie is, you can't deny the artistry to them. This is one of his more accessible movies, and that's at three hours long. Malick uses a lot of voice over, but it works better in his movies than almost any other.  

This movie contains a lot of characters and a lot of emotions. We get a collection of images, characters, and feelings. That creates a dense foundation for the plot, capturing trepidation and fear. This feels like a documentary, focusing on minute details of characters and settings. With so many different soldiers this doesn't feel like a typical movie because it doesn't follow just one character.

Nick Nolte plays Colonel Tall.

The scope of the movie is huge. This starts with numerous boats heading to shore. The troops are disadvantaged from terrain to manpower. They're being ordered forward by Colonel Tall who's just looking for glory no matter the cost. Captain Staros disagrees with the Tall and offers an alternative, a flanking maneuver. Tall is furious and when he arrives at the command point he suggests a flanking maneuver as his own idea. Tall is the worst kind of leader. He wants and takes all the credit. He bemoans never fighting in a war as he orders men to their deaths.

When the American troops take the ridge, you have to wonder who's really bad. The Japanese soldiers look fragile and vulnerable now that they've lost their strategic advantage. Everyone is just following orders in this war.

Jim Caviezel plays Private Witt.

Witt (Jim Caviezel) is the closest thing the movie has to a protagonist and his plight is tragic. He's the person that least belongs in war, having gone AWOL multiple times to live among indigenous people. He's an observer, watching this war from a step back. The man that seemed least like a soldier ends up being one of the best. 

This is a war movie that doesn't try to minimize or glorify war. It presents various soldiers and what happens to them. It's a very human movie, that's the focus. This looks at how human act in and react to war.