In 1962, World War II veteran turned author, James Jones published an autobiographical novel titled, “The Thin Red Line.” Set one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, American soldiers partake in the battle of Guadalcanal against Japanese soldiers. Each character reflects on his reaction to war and how it affects him both physically and emotionally. The novel earned praise from book critics and readers alike. Twenty-Seven Years Later, filmmaker Terrence “Terry” Malick (Badlands, The Tree of Life) began adapting the book, did some research on World War II and wrote a first draft over 300 pages long. Due to a busy schedule working on a few things, he delayed the project.
In 1995, Terry resumed his pet project presented his script to 20th Century Fox. (pre-Disney purchase) They green-lit the project. After three years of hiring an ensemble cast of famous faces and shooting a lot of footage, the film was distributed worldwide.
Released in 1998, (the exact same year Saving Private Ryan came out) the film received universal acclaim from critics and movie goers alike. The Thin Red Line went on to earn a few Oscar nominations including “Best Picture.” The Criterion Collection digitally resorted the film as spine number 536. Christopher “Chris” Nolan’s highly anticipated “Oppenheimer” will be released on July 21st 2023. Two days before my 30th birthday. Chris mentioned The Thin Red Line as one of his favorite films. Plus, Terrence Malick influenced his filmmaking style.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article. I’m giving some of you a chance to see this gem.
Victory & Defeat Aspects
Victory: Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, John Cusack, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, John C. Reilly, Thomas Jane, Tim Blake Nelson & John Travolta all did an excellent job for their respective performances.
Terrence “Terry” Malick did a decent job directing the film. He also wrote the script based on the book.
Action Sequences are intense showing a few characters enduring brutal combat. Some will make it or some will not.
Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Gladiator, Interstellar) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Cinematography captures beautiful imagery. Terry’s known for shooting outdoor scenes.
Set Pieces and Costume Designs reflect the time period.
A few characters deliver an inner philosophical monologue about a specific character’s view on war.
Editing felt smooth.
Pacing didn’t make feel miserably bored. My eyes were glued to the screen.
I can’t tell you how it ends. You’re gonna have to see for yourself.
Defeat: Originally shot as a five-hour film, Terry shot additional scenes with Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Pullman, Viggo Mortensen, Mickey Rourke & Martin Sheen. Sadly, there roles were cut in the theatrical release. It’s not easy adapting novel. As I’ve mentioned before, Terry’s first draft was over 300 pages long. If Terry has a rough cut of all the deleted footage left in the cutting room floor, maybe he can compile it within the original cut. Like Quentin Tarantino adding additional material from The Hateful Eight’s extended cut on Netflix. As if 2023, I have to subtract this con in its current state.
The Final Verdict: A-
The Thin Red Line is a near-perfect World War II epic that’ll keep you invested. If you’re fascinated with World War II history or a Criterion loyalist, grab a DVD/Blu-Ray copy at the nearest Barnes & Noble.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 