Oh, Mr. Malick, you disappoint me.

Rating: Null/10 (18 January 1999)

I believe the only reason critics haven't given this film the thrashing it deserves is because it was directed by Terence Malick (whose previous two films, "Badlands" and "Days of Heaven," are among the finest ever made). "The Thin Red Line" falls tragically short. The plot is loosely strung together and the narrative doesn't flow. The characters are undeveloped (with the exception of Nick Nolte's Col.Tall), and in some cases remain completely enigmatic right up to the film's unfulfilling conclusion (i.e. Sean Penn's). Unlike the effective voice-overs in Malicks prior films, those in "The Thin Red Line" are awkward and incomprehensible. It is difficult to tell which character is speaking but that doesn't matter because the poetic, esoteric nonsense seems to have little to do with the characters or how they feel. The bizarre cameo appearances of John Travolta and George Clooney seem to serve no other purpose than to get two more big names on the marquee. The great battle scenes are few and far between. In fact the only positive thing I can say about this film is that it is beautifully photographed; but we expect no less from Mr. Malick, who, in his other films, was also able to provide us with entertaining and comprehensible plots.