The Thin Red Line Review
by David Sunga (zookeeper AT criticzoo DOT com)February 3rd, 1999
THE THIN RED LINE (1998)
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out *********************************
A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Terrence Malick
Written by: Terrence Malick, adapted from the James Jones novel
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Elias Koteas, Nick Nolte
Synopsis:
In this nontraditional film an American World War II army company is ordered to assault an important hill on Guadalcanal that is held by desperate and starving Japanese soldiers manning machine gun nests at the top of the hill. The movie jumps disjointedly from one soldier to another in order to expose inner thoughts, fears, flashbacks, and philosophies. Two of its main themes are that war is surreal and accomplishes nothing, and that all men are really facets of the same oneness that pervades nature and the universe.
Opinion:
Watching THE THIN RED LINE is a little bit like seeing a seeing a three hour slide show and hearing a poetry reading. The cinematography is extraordinary, and the thoughts are mystical and deep. However, don't expect a traditional story line or resolution because the THIN RED LINE is more of a film experience than a story. The whole idea is to portray the mindlessness of war. The good die with the bad. Men enter and leave and are replaced like machinery. Savagery exists side by side with nature's beauty. Each person must make sense of it on their own.
Reviewed by David Sunga
January 30, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by David Sunga
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