Pitch Perfect

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2004)

This is an astonishing film. Malick's pictorial sense--and his use of internal dialog and narration--is, in his three films, revolutionary. The aim here is to give a sense of each man's personal war at Guadalcanal, and Malick's use of voice- overs and his beautifully filmed cutaway footage succeeds brilliantly. The action scenes feel true, giving the full sense and throttle of battle without the false bravado of other war films. The fear feels real as does the desperate need for survival and triumph. Caviezel's Witt provides the viewer with a perfect mirror, and Sean Penn's counterpoint character, Sgt Welsh, is Witt's best foil. Nolte's Col Tall is also perfect.
But it's how Malick photographs and crafts his films that make them archetypes for other filmmakers like David Gordon Green and Darren Aronofsky. Go and
take a look at the first 10 minutes of this film. Listen to Witt's narration; watch the jump cut of the native woman laughing. It's about the best 10 minutes of film you're likely to find.