Bitter disappointment

Rating: 1/10 (10 July 2004)

Shot in wide screen Panavision, some made-for-TV movies look better than this pic when it's shown in the TV safe format. To see it in anything but 2.35:1 is to miss half the cinematic effect. But that really is the biggest problem - most of the battle scenes either through lack of resources or the way they were filmed and edited, are unconvincing.
They shot the film in tropical Northern Queensland, Australia in the 'dry' season and the bright sun, puffly white clouds and lush verdant landscapes suggest this was war in 'paradise'. On some Pacific islands it was. But Guadalcanal is not paradise. It's equitorial and primarily blindingly overcast when it isn't raining. The climate and terrain in the jungles is so oppressive, like Papua New Guinea, equitorial Africa, the Amazon (or Vietnam) that people go mad just by being there and wander off the trail never to be seen again.
Terence Mallick wandered off the trail here, lost the plot and he may never be seen again.