Bastardization of James Jones' classic novel.

Rating: 4/10 (16 February 1999)

How did we get to this god-awful place? What the hell has happened to the world we once knew? These are questions audience members of The Thin Red Line asked themselves as the lights went up in the theater, and they soon went on to rail against the prices of movie tickets and popcorn and the abysmally long lines in theater restrooms. Hell, they may never see a movie again after watching this travesty.
The Thin Red Line, a classic novel by James Jones, told the story of real men in war. It's a story about the primary battles soldiers face--the fight against cowardice and the bureaucracy of their own army--more than the secondary battle against the enemy. You learn that war isn't about heroes; it's about mistakes, meaningless death, and misplaced priorities.
Starting from the strong base of a brilliant novel and an able cast (including a wonderful performance by Nick Nolte), it must have been hard work indeed to make such a horrible film. If you must see The Thin Red Line, wait until afterward to read the novel. It's the only way to get through a screenplay that makes a sow's ear out of a silk purse.