MovieChat Forums > The Thin Red Line (1999) Discussion > One of the greatest (likely the greatest...

One of the greatest (likely the greatest) war movies of all time

posted 7 years ago by apolitik
5 replies | jump to latest

I felt I had to write this to counter all the nonsense on the board lately about this film. I just watched this again today. I actually watched it with my patriotic, conservative father, who remarked on how ironic it was that his favorite war films (Thin Red Line, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket) were so anti-war.

This film is an absolute masterwork. The gorgeous, contemplative script, the pacing, the lush cinematography, the pathos... it's a totally beautiful and unique experience. It's a film like no other. My father, a veteran, kept remarking on how accurately the film captured the feeling of anxiety and helplessness of the men preparing for an invasion. The impressionistic flashbacks and narration, derided by many a troll on this board, provide an incredible sense of pathos.

It's a shame so many people seemed to miss the point with this one. I think it may be the greatest war film ever made.

[–] HZ-FcB-97 7 years ago

Totally agree with you. Don't forget to mention the stunning score by Zimmer. Brutally underrated film by the general public.

[–] Puccini123 7 years ago

I wholeheartedly agree!

I saw Hacksaw Ridge the other day, and I had to watch this again to wash the stink off.

[–] SteveJobz 7 years ago

Must agree, truly a top notch film.

[–] bbillcee 7 years ago

yes no doubt about, i have never seen anything close that represents the true brutality of war, not that I have been in a war, but this is what i visualize it being like. hardcore flick and highly recommended 11 stars

[–] Kingswood (1209) 5 years ago

(likely the greatest)

LOL, you're entitled to your opinion, but you are delusional and in the minority by a long shot.

85% of this movie was incredibly dull, and even the battle scenes were lacking. They did not show enough gore and suffering in order to really pound home how terrible, brutal and desperate that battle, and the war in general, was to those fighting it. If you're going to spend 40% of the movie showing reflective romantic memories and philosophical introspectives by a few of the characters, then you better make the action scenes over-the-top shell-shockers. They failed...big time. How do you make the ridge-taking battle the mid-point of the film and end it with a random reconnaissance mission as the last "combat" scene?? (There was actually no battle scene btw, they simply flash-forward to after they found Witt's body and buried it.) I don't care if that's how it was done in the book; take some cinematic liberties and do what the audience is expecting and have the pacing lead up to an appropriately huge payoff, i.e. final battle. Don't pivot back to a dull epilogue. Eeesh.

Other parts were simply absurd, as an example, a hard-boiled Sgt (Harrelson) literally kills himself by making a mistake that a raw private probably wouldn't even have made.

For the record, I think these comments about this movie are spot one:

https://moviechat.org/tt0120863/The-Thin-Red-Line/58c7758893cef4080d7b88d2/Complete-Mess

https://moviechat.org/tt0120863/The-Thin-Red-Line/58c7758893cef4080d7b889f/Worst-pacing-in-a-movie-ever

https://moviechat.org/tt0120863/The-Thin-Red-Line/58c7758893cef4080d7b8899/Painfully-dull-pretentious-self-indulgent-garbage

Also, I realize I'm responding to a 2-yr old post, but I couldn't help myself