The Thin Red Line (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Want to soak in a near-3 hour long World War II epic? Well, 'The Thin Red Line' (based on a 1962 autobiographical novel, & directed by the reclusive, enigmatic Terrence Malick) may be what you're looking for. 'TTRL' focuses on the conflict at Guadalcanal (in the Pacific) during said WWII. Why is the battle so important? Because the outcome strongly influences Japan's advance into the deep & vulnerable Pacific Ocean. There are 5 main characters & a plethora of secondary ones; all of whom are brought in as relief for the already-battered Marine units. The commanding officer is Lt. Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte), who's involved in this battle to soak up all the glory he can get. For this purpose, he has no problem ordering men to gamble their lives by attacking the impenetrable 'enemies'.
Capt. Staros (Elias Koteas), the commander of "C" Company who is known for his kindness, refuses a direct order from Lt. Tall when he believes it's a suicide mission. War-weary Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn) has a reputation of being difficult, but, on the battlefield, he shows warmth & humanity by risking his own life to get medication to an injured soldier. Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), despite being detained for going AWOL, stands-out in combat. And Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) performs acts of bravery as memories of his perfect wife (Miranda Otto) flood his mind; haunting him, particularly after he receives a stunning letter from home. What unfolds are the various exploits of this Division as the bloody battle takes lives & changes souls. Adrift on the other side of the world, these men ponder their small existence, what they're doing in this war, & what's the meaning of it all.
'TTRL' illustrates - with striking images, internal monologues & sweeping detail - the fears & chaos of war. We normally think of soldiers as bold & brave. But in this film, we see men that are scared, confused and, in some instances, aloof to what they were doing. You see the sheer panic in their eyes. You see them vomiting. You see Private Bell glance at a photo of his wife (thousands & thousands of miles away). You feel the "C" Company's insignificance. You feel their "what am I DOING here?" Malick takes us right into the tall grass with his characters. We see the serene countryside. But we also see explosions, bloodied limbs & death among those hills. Don't get me wrong, we see individual instances of bravery & valor, too. But after seeing 'TTRL' you'll see how many of these brave young men did not feel like heroes. More like: "whether I live or die ... then what?"
There are many soldiers who return home & slip right back into their 'norm'. But that is not the case for many. And this film highlights those who have those flinching feelings of doubt & 'nothingness' in the midst of war's uncertainties. Terrence Malick has an incredible cinematic eye. Working with Oscar-winning cinematographer, John Toll, we see such images as: sunlight penetrating flora & fauna; a crocodile sliding under the water; a ship cruising against a picturesque backdrop; rolling hills with waves of high grass; a baby being caressed by its mother; trickling streams; enormous trees ... scouting what's going on below (humans fighting & killing each other). The images in this film are stunning; and actually more important than the narrative/character arcs (seen as a detriment, to some).
I appreciated Jim Caviezel's passive, Zen-like portrayal of a man questioning his own soul throughout the film's entirety. Nick Nolte towers over everybody as the self-centered Colonel. Elias Koteas is touching as Capt. Staros. Sean Penn brings his usual intensity. I also like the arc his character is given. And I felt for the Ben Chaplin character the most. Everyone is great, including: Adrien Brody, Jared Leto, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Tim Blake Nelson, John C. Reilly, John Savage, Nick Stahl, and last, but not least, Dash Mihok. John Travolta & George Clooney have momentary blips on the screen; so their performances are harder to judge, as a whole. And to trim his film down to nearly 3 hours in length, Terrence Malick had to cut performances from the likes of: Viggo Mortensen, Mickey O'Rourke, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Martin Sheen, Bill Pullman, among others! It is well chronicled that 'TTRL' is Malick's first film in 20 years (1978's Days of Heaven), so the BIGNESS of this particular film is unquestioned.
My main issue with 'TTRL' is that it is so damn long {haha}. But that's MY issue; not the film's. I have a hard time watching movies that are nearly 3 hours long. And the fact that this film uses 'quiet' and silences as a way to prove points; is what made the 3 hours feel longer than it may have otherwise. 'TTRL' relies on many monologues & narrations (some of which, you aren't even sure which character is speaking). The narrations are spoken with an earnestness that is detrimentally lulling. And patches of scenes/narrative throughout the film (mostly in the middle) are on the dull side.
But the positives of this film (grand-scale ambition, unparalleled visual style, wonderful character portrayals, in-your-face combat scenes, beautiful technical craftsmanship, saying something about life's meaning and the nightmarish consequences of war) ... FAR outweigh any negative feelings I attach to it. How Malick punctuates the brutality & horrific components of war with gorgeous, lyrical shots of nature is something that (I feel) no other director is as adept at doing. It's just exceptional. And speaking on that aforementioned lyricism: it gives the movie a mystical feeling that one would never equate with most "war" movies. 'TTRL' is not compelling. It favors feeling & mood over formal dramatic structure & characterization. But the juxtaposition of horrific things occurring to floundering souls in a peaceful setting is what made my experience a poetic, haunting, and enriching one.
Capt. Staros (Elias Koteas), the commander of "C" Company who is known for his kindness, refuses a direct order from Lt. Tall when he believes it's a suicide mission. War-weary Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn) has a reputation of being difficult, but, on the battlefield, he shows warmth & humanity by risking his own life to get medication to an injured soldier. Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), despite being detained for going AWOL, stands-out in combat. And Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) performs acts of bravery as memories of his perfect wife (Miranda Otto) flood his mind; haunting him, particularly after he receives a stunning letter from home. What unfolds are the various exploits of this Division as the bloody battle takes lives & changes souls. Adrift on the other side of the world, these men ponder their small existence, what they're doing in this war, & what's the meaning of it all.
'TTRL' illustrates - with striking images, internal monologues & sweeping detail - the fears & chaos of war. We normally think of soldiers as bold & brave. But in this film, we see men that are scared, confused and, in some instances, aloof to what they were doing. You see the sheer panic in their eyes. You see them vomiting. You see Private Bell glance at a photo of his wife (thousands & thousands of miles away). You feel the "C" Company's insignificance. You feel their "what am I DOING here?" Malick takes us right into the tall grass with his characters. We see the serene countryside. But we also see explosions, bloodied limbs & death among those hills. Don't get me wrong, we see individual instances of bravery & valor, too. But after seeing 'TTRL' you'll see how many of these brave young men did not feel like heroes. More like: "whether I live or die ... then what?"
There are many soldiers who return home & slip right back into their 'norm'. But that is not the case for many. And this film highlights those who have those flinching feelings of doubt & 'nothingness' in the midst of war's uncertainties. Terrence Malick has an incredible cinematic eye. Working with Oscar-winning cinematographer, John Toll, we see such images as: sunlight penetrating flora & fauna; a crocodile sliding under the water; a ship cruising against a picturesque backdrop; rolling hills with waves of high grass; a baby being caressed by its mother; trickling streams; enormous trees ... scouting what's going on below (humans fighting & killing each other). The images in this film are stunning; and actually more important than the narrative/character arcs (seen as a detriment, to some).
I appreciated Jim Caviezel's passive, Zen-like portrayal of a man questioning his own soul throughout the film's entirety. Nick Nolte towers over everybody as the self-centered Colonel. Elias Koteas is touching as Capt. Staros. Sean Penn brings his usual intensity. I also like the arc his character is given. And I felt for the Ben Chaplin character the most. Everyone is great, including: Adrien Brody, Jared Leto, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Tim Blake Nelson, John C. Reilly, John Savage, Nick Stahl, and last, but not least, Dash Mihok. John Travolta & George Clooney have momentary blips on the screen; so their performances are harder to judge, as a whole. And to trim his film down to nearly 3 hours in length, Terrence Malick had to cut performances from the likes of: Viggo Mortensen, Mickey O'Rourke, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Martin Sheen, Bill Pullman, among others! It is well chronicled that 'TTRL' is Malick's first film in 20 years (1978's Days of Heaven), so the BIGNESS of this particular film is unquestioned.
My main issue with 'TTRL' is that it is so damn long {haha}. But that's MY issue; not the film's. I have a hard time watching movies that are nearly 3 hours long. And the fact that this film uses 'quiet' and silences as a way to prove points; is what made the 3 hours feel longer than it may have otherwise. 'TTRL' relies on many monologues & narrations (some of which, you aren't even sure which character is speaking). The narrations are spoken with an earnestness that is detrimentally lulling. And patches of scenes/narrative throughout the film (mostly in the middle) are on the dull side.
But the positives of this film (grand-scale ambition, unparalleled visual style, wonderful character portrayals, in-your-face combat scenes, beautiful technical craftsmanship, saying something about life's meaning and the nightmarish consequences of war) ... FAR outweigh any negative feelings I attach to it. How Malick punctuates the brutality & horrific components of war with gorgeous, lyrical shots of nature is something that (I feel) no other director is as adept at doing. It's just exceptional. And speaking on that aforementioned lyricism: it gives the movie a mystical feeling that one would never equate with most "war" movies. 'TTRL' is not compelling. It favors feeling & mood over formal dramatic structure & characterization. But the juxtaposition of horrific things occurring to floundering souls in a peaceful setting is what made my experience a poetic, haunting, and enriching one.