SPR vs. TRL. Guess who wins?

Rating: Null/10 (17 January 1999)

Basically, this film finally opened in my town after quite a bit of anticipation on my part. Could it be the one to beat Saving Private Ryan? Will the acting be incredible? Etc., etc. Well, I have been reading a lot about how people have been hating this film. The only conclusion I can come to is that these people are either, ignorant, or, they have not taken the time needed for this film to set in. Saving Private Ryan was sort of the super-appealing, Spielberg-Is-Brilliant-But-he-Can't-Stop-Manipulating-Me, Ultimately-Patriotic, film. And I will say it:I loved the film. It was in my Top 5 of the year, and still is. The mastery of the battle scenes was great, but The Thin Red Line is, ultimately, a better film. Here is why:
*It offers the same technically brilliant battle scenes as SPR, but A LOT more
*It really shows the other side of the war (in this case, The Japanese). Seeing this is striking, and as horrific as watching American soldiers get killed.
*It has a lot more to say about war in a much deeper way than SPR. SPR proved war is terrible, and sometimes pointless, but wrapped it up in a nice, taught, Hollywood package. The Thin Red Line does nothing of the sort. It meanders in confusion, violence, beauty, love, loss, and other issues that are barely discussed in SPR.
*It uses its marquee actors for a much better, overall, effect. I didn't know who any of the big names were (save Nick Nolte) 'til about half way through the film and this was great because you could really get into the characters and accept them. When I finally realized who John Cusacks characer was, I could barely believe it.
*The film FEELS long. I think TRL and SPR are about comparable in length, but Malick's film makes you feel the length, the time, the waiting, the anticipation, the disorder, in much better ways than can be imagined. SPR was a taught war film, TRL is a sprawling,human, epic.
That is all I can contribute right now. I am sure people are going to freak out and that, in the end, SPR will do much better than TRL, but for the intelligent, discriminating film viewer, there is no better film about war(not "war film"). I may go see The Thin Red Line again because I cannot shake its power. The images in this film will haunt you. And its overall message will shake you to the core. Pure film art.