The emperors' new clothes.

Rating: Null/10 (3 February 2003)

Prior to releasing this Malick was well on the way to becoming regarded by many as the greatest director ever. As the years of silence continued his previous films - a routine early 70's road movie with guns and the one about farming that is useful as both a hypnotic and purgative - rose ever higher in the minds of those who see only artistic integrity in not finishing anything. It had to end of course and this film brings the hype down to ground with a resounding thud. What we have is a very average war film. Its not much fun to watch though as it has a HIGHER PURPOSE. This film aims to tell you that war is bad - cue much wordy philosophising. Add in beatiful cinematography ( I suspect Malicks real strength might lie in travel programs ) and a collection of ridiculous celebrities appearing to show us that at heart they are really ARTISTES whose usual output is some kind of necessary slumming. This film represents the worst kind of middlebrow trash - too posh to simply entertain and to stupid to make anybody think. I suggest you watch almost any 50's b-movie , Cross Of Iron ( Hollywood's greatest war-is hell movie ), Saving Private Ryan ( manipulative but more involving and more intelligent) or Apocalypse Now ( a film that dares to confuse, bore and amaze - a work of real artistic risk).