The finest war movie ever made

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2004)

THE THIN RED LINE has been out for nigh on seven years at the time of writing, but I only discovered it three weeks ago. After seeing it in its entirety, I could do little but wonder why this was not basking in the heat of universal acclaim, rather than glorified bloody action flicks such as SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BLACK HAWK DOWN.
Rather than devoting itself purely to a single aspect of war, whether it be the combat, the fear, the love, or the intrigue, as most war films do, THE THIN RED LINE successfully combines all of the aforementioned into an awe-inspiring vista of epic proportions. The stage set is the strategically pivotal island of Guadalcanal, which US troops are attempting to capture from the Japanese. Whether the movie was filmed on the island itself or not, the scenery is intensely atmospheric for a war production, with impregnable head-high grass, squalid mangroves, chillingly open beaches, and towering hills. It's easy to see where Mel Gibson got his cinematography ideas for WE WERE SOLDIERS.
All of the aforementioned aspects of war are comprehensively and breathtakingly explored by the excellent cast. The empathetic Captain Staros (Elias Koteas) locks horns with his bullishly inflexible commanding officer (an excellent performance by Nick Nolte) in an attempt to minimise casualties rather than win the field at any cost, creating a backdrop of politicking and intrigue for the intense emotion of the plot. Private Jack Bell (Ben Chaplin) is simultaneously encouraged, harried and disheartened by the memory of his betrothed back home (Miranda Otto), infusing an appropriately romantic element. US character-actor Dash Mihok imbues an element of wild terror into the atmosphere in a very strong characterisation. But the real stars of the show are the faceless ranks of soldiers (surprisingly well-played by individualistic actors such as Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, John Cusack and a young Adrien Brody), who all melt into a shapeless mass of adrenaline, fear and aggression in the heat of combat.
I have heard many complaints that this movie is too soppy, and that there is not enough action. I don't see how anyone can complain about a lack of action and adrenaline. The cinematography is nothing short of brilliant - one literally feels as if the bullets are flying past one's face. The acting enhances this atmosphere, which, in my belief, make it a war movie experience unlike any other I've seen.
THE THIN RED LINE is a unique and outstanding film, that leaves action-based war movies like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN dead in the water. 10/10 for sheer brilliance.