The Thin Red Line Review
by Nigel Bridgeman (nigel AT losfer DOT com)March 7th, 1999
THE THIN RED LINE
Starring: Sean Penn, James Caviezel, Elias Koteas & Nick Nolte Written by: Terrence Malick
Directed by: Terrence Malick
When you see a film which is a true work of art, you know it. Previously, I knew after watching "Three Colours Red", "Paths of Glory", "Contact" and "Heat" that I had seen something different, something special, and after viewing The Thin Red Line I had that feeling all over again. This film - definately a film, not a mere movie - is a beautiful ode to the futility and brutality of war, and the effects it has on the human soul and psyche. It also marks, as everyone should know by now, the return after twenty years of Terrence Malick to the world of cinema (after seemingly abandoning it following his critically acclaimed Badlands and Days of Heaven).
The film takes place around the fight for Guadalcanal during World War II and focuses on a group of men in C Company. Rather than being a collection of increasingly brutal war scenes, however, The Thin Red Line is more of a character study as we follow the men as they head on their way to securing the island from the Japanese or, in the cases of some, dying in the attempt. The almost-court martialled Witt (James Cavaziel) recently went AWOL to spend time with the natives of Guadalcanal and has started thinking about the brutality of human nature; Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) longs for the wife (Miranda Otto) he left behind; battle-hungry Doll (Dash Mihok) delights in his first kill; Welsh (Sean Penn) only seems to see the futility in not only the war but life in general; and Captain Staros (Elias Koteas, a long way from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is apprehensive about sending his men onwards in what is obviously a suicide mission.
The performances from Malick's cast are superb. With little-known actors in the main roles, Malick has done what Curtis Hanson successfully accomplished with "L.A. Confidential" by making more believable the characters which the actors play. Cavaziel is fine in what could be considered the film's lead role, giving an air of innocence and weariness to Private Witt. Chaplin, as Bell, gives a good performance which is helped a great deal by the flashbacks and images he has of his wife. Sean Penn's bitter, defeated Welsh is one of his best roles yet, and
he is excellent without stealing the spotlight from his lesser-known cast members. Best of all, though, is Nick Nolte as the ambitious Colonel in charge of the operation. His scene with Koteas, when the latter tells him that he refuses to follow an order to send his troops against the Japanese and face certain death, is one of the best of the year.
Much of the discussion that has surrounded Malick's film is the extensive use of voice-over and the apparent lack of real narrative, especially in the third hour. I'm not entirely sure if the narrative is really a problem; Malick doesn't appear to be telling a story so much as letting his characters discuss with themselves what is going on around them. This isn't a film about a war, this is a film about war itself.
It must be said that nothing much in the way of action actually happens in the final year, but nothing happens brilliantly. John Toll, who failed to really impress me with his Oscar-winning cinematography in "Legends of the Fall" and "Braveheart", beautifully captures the mayhem and slaughter of the battle scenes on the island, as well as the serene moments away from the carnage. This is photography which has to be seen to be believed.
Other technical aspects of the film are also excellent. The battle scenes are at least on par with those from 1998's other WWII epic, "Saving Private Ryan", and just as disturbing and enthralling. As with Spielberg's film, the editing and sound crew have come into their own here, showing what film as a medium is all about; it's not just great performances, screenplays and direction that are important in the craft of filmmaking but the less obvious, behind-the-scenes crew which help make cinema great without even being noticed by the average moviegoer.
Malick has created a work of art which will not be fully appreciated by the masses who expect "Saving Private Ryan" in the Pacific. The Thin Red Line demands a great deal from the audience, and if people are willing to do some thinking for themselves they should be able to fully appreciate what Malick has created; something that embodies everything there is about film.
5 out of 5
More on 'The Thin Red Line'...
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
