"The Thin Red Line" is one of those rarest of films. The type
that I feel like I cannot do justice to with my scant reviews, but I
feel the need to tell of the spectacle that this film is..... No matter
how poorly I may do so.
It is a film that exists on a level with "2001: A Space Odyssey"
in terms of the craft and perfection inherent in it's design and execution.
It is the grandest of all war films. Bar none.
This is no small feat considering the competition, but it tells it's
story with such mastery and ease of pace that I cannot help but feel
like I have witnessed a film that deserves to be on the extremely short
list of best films of all time.
"The Thin Red Line" is defined as a war film, but it is more
the study of the effects of war upon the men who fight it, rather than
the war itself. I won't get down to specifics, because I cannot go into
that much detail within the limits of this review.
"The Thin Red Line" is the sort of film that any director,
other than Terrence Malick, cannot even dream of putting to film. He
haunts the viewer with the camera. You become a soldier amidst the chaos,
as he deftly moves the camera through the grassy hillside. One scene
in particular demonstrates the harshness of war, as the camera slowly
sways from side to side and then plunges into the grass. You have just
experienced death firsthand.
Malick thrusts you headlong into the battles. It begins with an eerie
quiet and then the gates of Hell are opened before your very eyes. You
see the life you once knew pass you by, as you are thrown into the belly
of the beast.
I liked the fact that "The Thin Red Line" demonstrated the
fact that wars can be fought on nice sunny days. Think about it. Practically
every other war movie has the battles take place on dark and dreary
battlefields. I always wondered if this was some sort of prerequisite
for a major battle in a film. Thankfully this film lays waste to that
train of thought.
The performances are all of the utmost quality. All are worthy of examination,
but I feel the need to discuss the merits of Nick Nolte's often overlooked
performance as Colonel Gordon Tall. Easily the best performance of his
career. Yes, even better than his work in "Down and Out in Beverly
Hills." He is what I guess you would say is the typical career
army man. Longing for his moment of glory in the war he has waited his entire
life to fight. He finds himself conflicted in his duties, as he wrestles
with his dislike for his position, as he reminds himself of his duty
to his family back home. He eventually has to play a role he never envisioned
himself in. Sending men to their deaths to sate his lust for glory.
War has it's effects on the men who take part in it. Colonel Gordon
Tall is no different.
"The Thin Red Line" is a modern marvel in the world of cinema.
It has so many layers, that one cannot possibly unravel them all in
a single viewing. If there can be such a thing as a beautiful war film,
this is it. In fact, I would have to venture to say that it is the most
beautifully shot movie I have ever seen. It is truly a wonder to behold.
In my opinion, this is Terrence Malick's masterwork.
Thank goodness he came back to the world of cinema to remind us all
of just how truly meaningful a film can be. He is an artist in every
sense of the word. "The Thin Red Line" is to cinema what the
Mona Lisa is to the art world.
A profound statement that will be remembered long after it's contemporaries
have been forgotten.
