Overlong and overblown. Very pretty in places.

Rating: 2/10 (20 March 1999)

I'd read rave reviews of this film and unfortunately this led to an enormous sense of disappointment. Articles in the press have speculated about the whereabouts of Terence Malick over the last 20 years or so. He certainly hasn't been to the cinema. The film, while beautifully shot in places, was an exercise in self indulgence and cinematic excess. The pacing is certainly more reminiscent of Apocalypse Now than Saving Private Ryan. The plot (such as it exists) leaves the viewer detached and ultimately uninterested in the plight of the poorly sketched characters. While some may argue that the feeling of detachment echoes that of the participants, it is not good cinema. The film has three main sections, the first a long and rambling introduction to the characters and background. Given that this lasts for 45 minutes or so, it is surprising how little one knows or cares for either by the end of it. The second section deals with the 'action' of taking the hill and is the closest that the film comes to having a plot, characters or indeed anything of interest to absorb the eyes and mind other than the scenery. Shot at times like a Kurosawa epic, but lacking that directors feel for emotion and drama, the action is played out by such anonymous characters that the effect is wasted. The third section of the film has a feeling of denouement, but lasts over an hour. This is the longest and most drawn out segment and occurring as it does after nearly 1hr 45 mins the effect was literally numbing, to the bum as much as to the mind.
The final parallel between this artistic endeavour and the war it portrays was the relief felt by all parties when it was finally over.