The Thinking Man's War Film

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2014)

"I like you captain, and I'd just want you to know that, we're in this thing together" growls Lt. Col. Gordon Tall early in what has to be one of the most innovative war films ever made, and that is truly how the audience feels, as if they are it with the characters. The perfect cinematography and directing create such immersion, that we really feel as though we are one of Charlie company, fighting alongside them. This practically first person view contributes to this being possibly the most visually stimulating war film ever made, and this allows the audience to really picture the horror of combat. When combined with fantastic performances from the likes of Nick Nolte, whose deranged persistence is a highlight of his career, the film is as thought provoking as the best of all war films, Apocalypse Now, and a comparison to that shows how brilliant a film Terrence Malick has created.