A uneven but great movie

Rating: Null/10 (22 January 2003)

I have been intrigued by the reviews thus far. This seems to be a movie that falls into that love/hate category. No one is on the fence - either they hate it or love it.
Personally, I love the movie. I remember watching it in the theater and thinking, when is George Clooney coming? This was after 2+ hours, and I looked forward to another 2 hours - thinking that Clooney had a significant part. Obviously, the joke was on me.
I loved every minute of this movie, and I wished it went on for another 2 hours. I've heard the original cut was 9 hours (!) and I would gladly pay money to see that. Hans Zimmer's score absolutely made this movie - it would be an entirely different movie without him.
The Thin Red Line is not your typical war movie. The studio made a mistake in the way it was marketed, trying to make it more of an action movie than it is. While there are some great action scenes, it is not the same experience as Saving Private Ryan. This is a relatively bloodless and gore-free movie compared to Spielberg's drama. However, on its own terms, this is a superior movie. It deals with feelings, thoughts, and philosophy. In terms of battlefield experiences, you won't see anything that surpasses the opening D-Day scenes of Saving Private Ryan. However, for a different, more philosophical treatment of war, The Thin Red Line runs circles around Saving Private Ryan.
For instance, the attack on the Japanese outpost, where the only sounds are the score from Hans Zimmer, is one of the most powerful and moving scenes in any war movie, period.
If you are looking for a traditional war movie, I would heed the comments of other reviewers and avoid this movie. However, if you are in the mood for something different and challenging, you will not be disappointed by this masterpiece of a movie.
Tim Irwin