Vivid, Thought Provoking Film

Rating: Null/10 (22 September 2011)

The Thin Red Line is a powerful war drama that features stars such as Sean Penn, and can only be bolstered by the all around experience of theaters like that of Garden Cinemas in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Upon entering the smaller theater of Garden Cinemas, it is easy to get a sense that you are about to view an art film rather than a Hollywood motion picture. On this night specifically, the audience was a bit older, most over the age of 50. Garden Cinemas features two big screen theaters, but also offers a café viewing room with old chairs and tables that present a totally different atmosphere for whomever desires. The seating in the theater is comfortable, visually appealing, and has a certain sense of authenticity.
I watched this film with my mother and brother and we found virtually no line for tickets that night. The movie was preceded with trailers that were geared toward independent films. At the time, I was most likely the youngest audience member and I felt the eyes of judgment as I walked to my seat. When the film began, the audience was consumed and all noise and the sense of judgment I had felt were diminished.
Terrence Malick, the director, is known for his supreme cinematography. The images alone were enough to stir emotion inside any human being. Terror, sadness, happiness, and despair all vibrated in my brain at various points. The overarching theme is presented visually before you are even able to pick up on it through the words and actions of the characters. Malick questions why the beauty of everyday life must be stomped out by the atrocities of war. In this sense, I believe this is the best anti-war film I have seen.
There are many characters that each, in their own personality, touch upon the cruelty and futility of war. If there is a protagonist, it is played by James Caviezel. We first find him living with the Melanesian natives of the South Pacific island that they are fighting on. He later recalls this experience as a different world than anyone in the army has ever known. There is something comforting in this spiritual man, and although he does not agree with battle, he fights side by side his comrades upon his return.
You get to know the men of Charlie Company as individuals and as one unit; a family. In between images of exotic birds and the crystal clear ocean, are scenes of young men being torn apart and fields being reduced to ash. As a World War II film you may find yourself comparing it to Saving Private Ryan. However, there is something deeply spiritual about this film that is not touched on in Saving Private Ryan. Yes, the coming together of men amongst the horrors they are experiencing and causing is seen in both films. The difference, is Terrence Malick's unique ability to blend thought provoking narratives and spectacularly vivid images to bring about emotions that only each individual viewer can truly understand for themselves. Thus, making it an almost purely individualistic experience that cannot be deciphered by others.