The Thin Red Line (1998) Dir: Terrence Malick
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As I've grown older, I've become more cynical of war films. Partly it's because I've grown more knowledgeable and aware of the atrocities of war, and partly it's because I've grown more wary of a lot of war film's biases and their all-too-common glorification of combat and death.
Terrence Malick's depiction of the American military campaign in Guadalcanal during World War Two is an intense, harrowing and emotionally brutal film, full of truly gruesome violence. It's a long film - nearly three hours - and the brutality takes up a great bulk of that run time, though it certainly ebs and flows.
I thought the film did well to show the nihilistic, hopelessness of war for many of the men involved. There are moments of quiet contemplation amongst the blood and chaos, which provide a little poignancy and reflection in the midst and wake of the combat.
However, the film does not escape the criticism of being gratuitous - though, in fairness, it is pretty hard for a war film to avoid such a descriptor. The physical effects are pretty realistic, but I would say I've seen a few war films with better. The other criticism I have is the previously referred to runtime - the film could easily have been edited down more.
The film has a talented and extensive ensemble cast, with some exceptional standouts. Jim Caviezel, in one of the more prominent roles, was excellent. He felt easy to root for as a protagonist, and made his character feel both memorable and important to the plot. I was really invested in his character arc, and a lot of that had to do with his captivating acting.
Sean Penn gave a typically strong performance - particularly in the second half of the film, in which he showed some very compelling emotions. He was easily one of the most memorable and interesting characters in a film full of a large number of characters.
The other main standouts were Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, John Cusack and Adrien Brody, despite their relatively small roles. I think Nolte and Koteas in particular deserve praise for their scenes together, which showcased some genuine chemistry.
Other cast members who I felt were well worth giving mentions to, and there were quite a few, were Ben Chaplin, Dash Mihok, Woody Harrelson, John Travolta, Jared Leto, George Clooney, John C. Reilly and Miranda Otto.
Overall, while I found this to be a realistic and engrossing watch, it was definitely too long, which made the film drag. However, that and a couple of other minor issues aside, I was pretty impressed. There were some impactful and riveting scenes, which helped to highlight the horrors faced by both American and Japanese soldiers in the Pacific.
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