A work of art that transcends genre

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 1999)

Terrence Malick has managed to create something with few parallels in the film industry, a piece of visual and narrative poetry that will leave an indelible impression on the industry in years to come. He brilliantly interweaves tragic images of nature's inexorable brutality with almost spiritual views of the jungle canopy, leaving the viewer simultaneously stunned by nature's beauty and aghast at its violence. At the same time, the ebb and flow of the poetic narrative gives character to the universal themes and forces one to introspect and to contemplate the very nature of existence. The philosophical undercurrents of the film are made doubly apparent through such vivid symbolism as the alligator, the bird, the snake, and the seed, all of which touch upon topics ranging from the intrinsic evil in nature to the nature of the soul, war, and God. Malick incorporates incredible cinematography to reinforce his claim that man and nature are organically interrelated and this gives the film a thematic depth that is far too rare in American cinema.
Some have criticized the film for its lack of character development, but this is unjustified, Welsh learns the value of selflessness, Doll matures (moving from such lines as "I got one!" to his final monologue), and others such as Bell and Tall undergo even more subtle changes. More importantly, however, are the vivid characterizations of some of the more static, even archetypal characters, including the Christ-figure Witt (who ministers to the dying, clings to a seed of hope and keeps his distance from the evil surrounding him) and Staros.
As to the plot, one could argue it's entirely unnecessary for a film such as this, but, as others have pointed out, there is indeed a plot, but the details are hidden behind their deeper ramifications and the movie's incessant symbolism. For some this will be disorienting, even frustrating, but it's a trend I would love to see continue, truly turning cinema into an art form.
Many movies make us feel, think, cry, and laugh, but the last movie that made me reflect to the extent that this movie has was Apocalypse Now. Like that film, underappreciated in its time, The Thin Red Line will, in the years to come, be viewed as one of the apogees of American cinema; a film that exploits the medium and asks us to do one of the most subversive and frightening things of all, to look within.