Misunderstood classic. Profound.

Rating: 10/10 (12 October 1999)

Looking over some of the negative comments, I find most of them seem to arise from people seeing the movie with preconceptions and expectations not borne out by the film. Case in point is the widespread comparison to "Saving Private Ryan." As others have said, these two movies share little in common beyond being "war movies" and are good for very different reasons.
Saving Private Ryan, while a good movie, is about as unsubtle in its presentation as a movie can possibly be, displaying gratuitous gory action and having an obvious and shallow theme (about courage, sacrifice, rememberance and all that...worthy to be sure but nothing new). It is a mainstream, mass-appeal action movie with a politically-correct, All-American theme. Its popularity was written in the stars.
Then we have "The Thin Red Line." People aren't sure what to make of it. Some people come in expecting "typical war movie" and are bitterly disappointed. Others are just bored with it and couldn't care less about the questions it raises. My take is that it is a cerebral, fascinating, thought-provoking movie depicted with superb cinematography and a unique style. Its multiple meanings are right there under the surface if you care to look, although the real meaning is in the feelings it (should) evoke.
It isn't the characters who are all having these philosophical episodes while under fire...it's supposed to be you, as we see the events though the eyes of the rather dreamy fellow the movie mostly follows. SPR tried to make you feel like you were there. TTRL presents the action more as a case study in humanity, where the individual personas are unimportant compared to the broader questions about life itself. In this way it goes far beyond the token anti-warness of Saving Private Ryan (although admittedly foregoing some of the high-adrenaline action of the latter).
One of the negative reviews here hit the nail on the head comparing the movie to a nature documentary. That reviewer didn't see the relevance of showing the singing natives, the colorful animals, and the beauty of the island. He must have trouble with such concepts as irony, juxtaposition, imagery, and all that other jazz your English teacher droned on about in high school. "Where is the anti-war message?" asks one reviewer. Well, it's the entire movie.
In the end, The Thin Red Line works on many levels. It will go down as a misunderstood classic because it doesn't sit down with the audience and patiently explain a nice, easy, Hallmark-card sentiment. It flies right over the head of Average Joe. That may sound arrogant but it's the simple truth, and you don't have to be Einstein to comprehend this movie. The "main character" wasn't a smart fellow at all, he simply observed the world using his natural common sense and wisdom. I consider The Thin Red Line (even the title is thought-provoking) one of the best movies I have ever seen.