The Thin Red Line Review
by "Kleszczewski, Nicholas" (Nicholas DOT Kleszczewski AT pepsico DOT com)February 25th, 1999
The Thin Red Line
_The Thin Red Line_ is a war film, based on the series of events that led to the takeover of the island of Guadecanal. It has an all-star cast, an epic running time, many intermingling stories, and stunning cinematography. The film+s strengths are that it is stunningly beautiful, and that it is deeply philosophical. It+s weakness is an incoherence that starts slow, and builds throughout the film.
If I have been slow in reviewing this film, here+s why: For the longest time I+ve waited for it to hit my area. Now that I+ve seen it, my only desire is to see it again.
Usually, that would be a blurb of great praise. Not here. I would want to see it again so that maybe then, I would "get it." It seems to be very poetic, very visual, very philosophical, deeply complicated, and too abstract.
But it+s not fair for me to criticize the film for going over my head at points. It+s not fair for me to complain that I could not keep up with the rhythm of Terence Malick+s direction. He may have made it a little harder to follow, a little less dumbed down, but I wasn+t bored. (Okay, I was bored a little towards the very end).
The film isn+t overtly graphic like _Saving Private Ryan_, but there are some strong violent moments. It+s more concerned with the deeper, underlying issues of man versus nature. Of man in a tribal state, being more peaceful than the "civilized" counterpart. There+s one phenomenal image where a tribesman walks through the bushes, totally oblivious to the infantry walking towards him.
There are many of these phenomenal images. The only thing that is lacking is the glue of a concrete story. But it+s not that the story doesn+t exist. The story takes on many forms, affects many characters, and doesn+t assume that we need to have it all explained for us. It+s not conventional, it+s not Hollywood, and it+s not dull. I could only hope that repeated viewings will improve my moviegoing experience.
Nick Scale (1 to 10): 8
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