Astonishing, Horrible, Serene, Beautiful, Though-Provoking Yanks Vs Japs War Story

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2007)

During World War II, America and Japan are fighting for control of air and sea routes in the South Pacific. Landing on the key strategic island of Guadalcanal, a company of soldiers are ordered on a dangerous mission to recapture it from enemy forces.
Malick's return to cinema after a twenty-year break is an intense, mesmerising, unique war film, which scores both as an incredible action piece and as a philosophical-poetic examination of conflict and death. I suspect many people don't like it because it's so strong in both areas - too pretentious for action fans and too exciting for cognoscenti - but this is its major appeal for me. The long, long battle scene to take the hill and then storm the airstrip is exhaustingly brilliant, supremely well executed and totally horrifying. The smooth direction and brilliant three-feet-off-the-ground photography by John Toll puts us right in the thick of the action - it feels so close, you can almost reach out and touch the reeds and the dirt. But equally important is the fear, excitement, anguish and revulsion the men feel, all of which is carefully documented and extremely thought-provoking. With the exception of Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, I've never seen a movie which so accurately and objectively depicts war, but is also so profound in its musings. The large ensemble's conflicts - Caviezel's fascination with nature, Chaplin's longing for his wife, Koteas' love for his men, Nolte's bloody ambition, Penn's insular weariness, Cusack's disillusionment, Savage's insanity - are touching, tragic and richly played. Featuring one of the prolific Hans Zimmer's best scores, and shot in incredible locations in Australia and the Solomon Islands. I do have one big problem with this movie however, and it's the demarcation of the people - there are six main characters and seven important supporting characters, most of whom are young men in identical clothes, which the film does a lousy job of distinguishing (particularly Caviezel and Chaplin, who look very alike) and the bottom line is if you don't know Who's Who in a movie, all dramatic tension can be lost. But don't let that, the running-time, or any of the naysayers of this truly original film put you off however - if you really want to see both the brutality and the beauty of war, you can't miss this. Based on a novel by James Jones (who also wrote From Here To Eternity), and filmed before in black-and-white in 1964.