Is it a nature documentary? Or is it a war film?

Rating: 6/10 (23 December 2010)

This gets a 6/10 from me for the excellent war sequences. Unfortunately, they are very few and far between! I might give it an 8/10 as a nature documentary perhaps...
Honestly, I've seen this film three times now and I still cannot understand the praise it gets. Firstly, its looooong - far too long. I kept thinking "they could have cut all that bit out". Secondly, is it me or does this seem like a (very well shot) nature documentary?! Im not joking...it does seem like Malick had to shoot a war film but thought "I know, Im not really into war and stuff really - Im going to shoot a nature documentary at the same time". Honestly there is far too much arty nature footage in this film - sometimes I forget its a war film or that there is a war actually going on in the film! If I want to watch a nature documentary Ill watch a nature documentary.
Thirdly - and my biggest problem with this film - the romantic sub-plot/flashbacks. My god these bits are dull, useless and completely irrelevant! They were obviously inserted to add more "poetic meaning" etc - they really DO NOT work! I can just imagine even the people who love this film wincing a bit when these bits are on. They also help to destroy any momentum the film has (and its struggling in this department as it is what with the constant filming of swaying grass, monkeys, tribal people etc which of course have nothing to do with the plot - what there is of it). Why the editors of the film couldn't see this is beyond me.
I've no doubt that the recent blu-ray release looks fantastic and perhaps this has influenced people's opinion of the FILM itself (god forbid ;) ). My clock-watching during this film was almost constant.
To sum up - I think Malick wanted to film an arty nature documentary - the cinematography is indeed excellent. But as a war film? Forget it. You could halve the running time of this film fairly easily and it would still seem a bit bloated. Im sure its very poetic and has a lot to say about how man is bad and nature is good etc - zzzzz. Im amazed I stayed awake till the end.