A War Epic That Could Have Been Much More Effective!

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 1999)

I recommend The Thin Red Line, however, while I think it is worth seeing, it has several flaws that should be noted. The movie is too long. Simply put, this epic seems to go on and on like the Energizer Bunny. The characters were developed well enough but I found myself not caring about them. The narration was hard to understand in content and the flash-backs didn't really seem to add to the films overall objective. The photography was stunning and the battle scenes realistic, but you are going to be getting up several times in this movie to do whatever just from sitting too long. Again, I recommend it but don't expect it to be another Saving Private Ryan experience. One thing though it does have in common with Saving Private Ryan. It does not glorify war but rather shows soldiers facing fear as they come up against overwhelming odds in battle.