BEAUTIFUL!

Rating: Null/10 (3 December 1999)

Malick is a very talented director with one major flaw: bad timing. This will inevitably be remembered as "the other Saving Private Ryan". A sad degration of a very powerful film. If this film had come out five years from now or five years ago, it would have been better accepted.
If this film could just be given a chance to stand on it's own and be judged on it's own cinematic merit, it could be recognized as a classic film.
The camera work is absolutely breathtaking. Like many Kubrick films, every single frame of this movie can stand alone as a beautiful still photograph.

Some people complained that this film is over-long. Yes the film is very long indeed, but it needs that length to convey the sense of hopelessness and bravery without manipulating the viewer. It's called subtlety, a word Oliver Stone can not pronounce.
I found this film to a brilliant piece of cinema-literature that should be looked at more closely so it can be truly appreciated for the genius that it truly is.