Absolutely beautiful--how can people NOT like this movie???

Rating: Null/10 (19 September 1999)

I'll never understand why "Saving Private Ryan" is ranked so highly while "The Thin Red Line" is so underrated. I heard bad things about this movie before I saw it. Some people said it was boring, or too long. Yet, this is a movie that's just as long as "Saving Private Ryan". I guess what a director has to do in order for the general public to like a film is to throw in a lot of blood and gore, have a lame plot, and show the United States flag at the beginning and ending of the movie. Terrence Malick did none of those things with "The Thin Red Line", and that's why this film was not admired and respected the way it should've been. Also, this film was released in the same year as the overhyped "Saving Private Ryan". I could go on and on about the things that affected this movie's chances for success. Nevertheless, I was completely mesmerized while watching this film. I was basically glued to the screen. This is the first war movie I personally have seen where you truly witness the psychological aspect of war, beyond the typical cliche of seeing a soldier about to go into combat and his main thought is: "oh, I'm so nervous!" or "I'm gonna die, I just know it!" The soldiers in this film question the validity of life and death, and wonder if killing the enemy has improved their own lives. This film shows that soldiers in combat situations have more than just mechanical thoughts. Some comments have been made about the many symbols and metaphors that can be seen in this movie. I really didn't focus on that, but what I can say about the visuals is that the cinematography was astonishing. Beautiful use of colors, particularly of the color green. Also, the score was magnificent. And, of course, I was impressed by the performances, which were both natural and touching. This movie, to me, was a remarkable movie, and I will not forget it. I consider "The Thin Red Line" to be one of the greatest war movies I have seen. I cannot believe that notable movies like "The Thin Red Line", "Titanic", "The Color Purple" and "Casino" are not even on the IMDB Top 250 films, while ridiculous movies like "Fargo", "Blade Runner", "South Park", and "Shakespeare in Love" are.