Beautiful nature, great actors - no plot

Rating: 5/10 (14 March 1999)

Having seen "The Thin Red Line" this afternoon left me with memories of the beautiful nature on Guadalcanal - but not a lot more. Centered on the american invasion of Guadalcanal during WWII the movie provides the viewer with looks into the hearts and minds of a group of american armymen.
There is really no plot while the movie tries to ram some commonplace ethics and philosophy lessons down the unsuspecting moviegoers throat. Main points are about the duality of human nature and the absurdity of war. Nothing new, but the movie nevertheless runs for almost three hours. In lack of an original view on the perils of war (and a decent story) the movie regrettably fails to capture your attention.
On the upside are three items: 1. The photography and sound. The pictures and sound are top notch. Part of the movie takes place on the slopes of a hill, the americans are trying to conquer from the japanese opponents. During this segment you actually feel, as if you were there - in Guadalcanal, in WWII. The magnificient pictures and the sound of the wind sweeping through the tall, green grass makes you want to lie down on your back and look dreamingly at the clouds passing by. 2. The actors All parts seem to be cast with the best of breed Hollywood actors. Lead by Nick Nolte and Sean Penn the whole cast plays impeccable. Even in very small parts we see actors like John Travolta and George Clooney. 3. The music Couldn't be better.
In my view the director should have made a National Geographics kind of film, and this way have concentrated on what he does best.