The Thin Red Line is a brilliant movie. But how? After seeing 3 screenings, this is what I came up with...

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 1999)

Experience is something that you and I can share. I can tell you I had a cheese bagel for lunch. I can get into explicit details of the flavor, texture, colours, smells even how it sounded when I bit into it. With all of these experiences working together, you may be able to understand the experience of eating a cheese bagel even if you have never tried one. This is what the movie did to tell it's story.
This film gave me the flavor, texture, colours, smells and sounds of its story. But it did it using experiences I am used to. Experiences like dealing with irony, being dumped, bliss, calm, fear, trying to figure out my role in the world, how humans relate to nature, and so on. Therefore, I was told a story using my own experiences so I can completely understand what is going on in the context of its subject matter.
But how did they know? How did they know what I was thinking? Most American films will condescend you. They will tell you questions to ask, tell you what to think, and then finally answer the questions for you. This film respects what you are thinking, asks you some questions, and then asks you to answer them for yourself. That is absolutely mastering this medium.
Unfortunately, this is where it lost some of the audience. Likely because the modern "American Film" audience does not expect to have to think while being entertained. There's certainly room for "entertainment for entertainment's sake", however it's all too common place. This makes "The Thin Red Line" shine even more.
"The Thin Red Line" allows us to experience experience.
That makes it nothing short of brilliant.