Too thoughtful for its own good

Rating: Null/10 (2 November 1999)

I watched The Thin Red Line with no expectations despite very mixed reviews from friends who had seen it. I was sorely disappointed.

There are moments of genius - the attack on the hill is perfectly framed and filmed with excellent use of steadicam and soundtrack.
However, the yearning to be much more than a good war movie led to ambiguity which served no purpose. I felt nothing for the characters in the movie which is key to listening to the complex narration with interest. The narration was too overblown for its own good and became grating.
The use of big stars in cameos as officers was a good idea - charismatic generals or senior officers who are not core to the story. But by publicising the movie as having stars such as Clooney in it the "cameos" became laughable. Clooney appears in a brief scene where you do not even hear him due to narration. This was pointless.
So, a film that has moments of genius but overall left me feeling disappointed and wishing I had spent the time rewatching Saving Private Ryan. 5 out of 10.