The Thin Red Line

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: January 8, 1999

8.0	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 263 Ratings

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darkbloodshed13Dec 24, 2019

The Thin Red Line is a film directed by Terrence Malick and is about the battle for Guadalcanal in WWII. This is one of the rare time times I get to say that everyone who participated in this film is at there best. All the actors play thereThe Thin Red Line is a film directed by Terrence Malick and is about the battle for Guadalcanal in WWII. This is one of the rare time times I get to say that everyone who participated in this film is at there best. All the actors play there roles perfectly, the screenwriting and direction are both at there peak. Yet this film short of being a great film. That is because the way the actors interpreted the script is clearly different than what the director had in mind. The director clearly wanted us to understand the solders on a deeper level, however all the actors play their respective characters with identical personalities that not one of them stands out. Meaning by the end of the film I have no idea who lived and who died. In conclusion this film could have been one of the best I had ever seen but it just couldn't hold it together.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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OlivierPielOct 25, 2019

Terrence Malick is probably one of the few American cinematographers who understand Tarkovsky's "sculpting in/of time" definition of cinema and the imperative to infuse poetry in the medium. He understands cinema is not there to "tell aTerrence Malick is probably one of the few American cinematographers who understand Tarkovsky's "sculpting in/of time" definition of cinema and the imperative to infuse poetry in the medium. He understands cinema is not there to "tell a story". That's what books do.
He smartly understands that to show the inanity of war, and existence as a whole, he can't go down the easy way, that is the ultra-realistic, audience-pandering and shall we say almost pornographic "saving private Ryan" way.

However, he struggles to coherently bring his very good ideas to the screen. Too many voice overs show that he needs words, as a crutch, to help viewers understand his philosophy on war.

Few scenes are really "beautiful" or will stay with us for long, as Apocalypse Now managed to do. It seems his genius was to cast Jim Caviezel - aka Jesus of passion of the Christ- as his main character, a modern Alexei Karamazov, a soldier-monk, whose blue gaze just illuminates each of his scene with a form of saintly beatitude and echoes his scene in the lagoon.
The vast blue yonder, not the thin red line....… Expand

2 of 8 users found this helpful26

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JamesSJul 28, 2009

This movie would have been great if it were not for all the faggot actors trying to look tough and mean. What an insult to the true heroes who paid the ultimate price in this campaign. Woody & Buzz could've done a better job

0 of 8 users found this helpful

asthobaskoroApr 26, 2011

Although receive good reviews, I think War Movie is not my type. Slow-paced, explosion - didn't attract me enough. I think Terrence Malick give his best for this movie, beautifully filmed.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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TyranianDec 12, 2019

Very different war film with good visuals and acting, and a contemplative bent.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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ManasWWMNov 22, 2013

A bit too emotional ..40-45 minutes of war put aside,this movie is a complete No No.location was a bit too perfect for the war scenario,but it is based on real events so cannot complain on that.Characters were average,I expected more of gunsA bit too emotional ..40-45 minutes of war put aside,this movie is a complete No No.location was a bit too perfect for the war scenario,but it is based on real events so cannot complain on that.Characters were average,I expected more of guns rather than words.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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JeanDuchampJun 19, 2016

Obvious, tedious, overstretched, exploitative, self-repeating, too standard by all means, considered in the top of war movies probably by some tricky magic. The single good feature is how the local nature exposed through the outdoor shooting,Obvious, tedious, overstretched, exploitative, self-repeating, too standard by all means, considered in the top of war movies probably by some tricky magic. The single good feature is how the local nature exposed through the outdoor shooting, but it's hardly an excuse for an almost three-hour flick. Seriously, better search for some National Geographic documentary on Solomon Islands or some intelligent documentary on WWII .… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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SEROJJul 16, 2016

Now, don't get me wrong. The acting is amazing, the plot is great but overall i think its way too long! Sometimes the slow tempo can be dramatic, but when you're overdoing it - its becoming boring! The characters are not going to make youNow, don't get me wrong. The acting is amazing, the plot is great but overall i think its way too long! Sometimes the slow tempo can be dramatic, but when you're overdoing it - its becoming boring! The characters are not going to make you care about them. Overall its an great movie, and definitely deserves a watch!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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