MovieChat Forums > The Thin Red Line (1999) Discussion > GREATEST WAR MOVIE EVER

GREATEST WAR MOVIE EVER

posted 9 years ago by HZ-FcB-97
8 replies | jump to latest

This is a beautiful and amazing film. A great portrayal of soldiers from both sides fighting their own fears and experiences. Delicately executed in terms of directing, acting, cinematography, music and visual effects. I rate it higher than Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Black Hawk Down and other war films. It just clicks in so many ways, and even though it's very long it never feels drawn out. An extremely good movie, I'm not saying it's a masterpiece, but it's damn close to being one.

[–] Lyndhen 9 years ago

I really like the film. Some parts are excellent but I've never really got the film as a while - some parts do drag and it is quite pretentious.

[–] HZ-FcB-97 9 years ago

Yeah some scenes with the voice over poetry are a bit draggy I agree, but I think it makes up for it in the other scenes. No movie is perfect.

[–] nnoppinger-2 8 years ago

For it to be pretentious it would have to say something. Malick fails on finding ALL of the motivations of soldiers in combat. He only chose a narrow few. Ttrl does not know if it wants to be a nature film or an anti-war film with a little phenomenolgy thrown in for farts and giggles.

[–] politicaldefiance 9 years ago

The Thin Red Line, Apocalypse Now, Come and See. Those are my top 3 favorite war movies, and I have no problem calling them masterpieces.

[–] nnoppinger-2 8 years ago

Malicks films are, to steal a quote, arthouse navel gazing. If I want Heidegger, I will go to the source. Kubrick's Paths of Glory is a much better film. Keep in mind I am a combat veteran.

[–] scorsese-1 8 years ago

Only Apocalpse Now is better. Both great.

[–] clem-27 8 years ago

It would have been much better had it not been for the damned narration.

Hour after hour of that voice dragging on and on thinking it was laying out some kind of amazingly profound wisdom nearly drove me insane.

If it hadn't been for the beautiful cinematography, I would have turned it off early on.

Seriously, that narration was the worst.

[–] TwoThousandOneMark 7 years ago

Yeah, it is for me. Re-watching some of the Criterion special features, they point out how the narrations aren't meant to be taken too literally, that they play nearly like song or poetry lyrics to blend with the visuals. Even the filmmakers themselves saying that, you don't need to know every word of what's from off screen to satisfy the experience.

The way they edited the film, there were silent takes of nearly every scene, speaking ones or not. The filmmakers had countless narrative readings voiced over on tape & used the choicest ones to help tie the film, its themes, & tone together.

...my essential 50 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056413299/