Who lit this flame in us? No war can put it out.

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2017)

War films are a dime a dozen, which is strange considering the amount of money and effort it must take to make them, but something about The Thin Red Line sets it up above (most of) the rest, and that might be its message.
Set during World War 2, the film follows the capture of a strategic location atop a hill controlled by the Japanese. The action flows fiercely from start to finish, punctuated by lulls between the chaos. It is the most intense and violent of Malick's films, yet he seems perfectly comfortable in this new territory.
The cinematography is gorgeous, providing a visual irony to the gritty and hellish nature of war. The score is also fantastic, with a spine-tingling indigenous chant that has become a trademark sound of the film. The dialogue is thoughtful and philosophical, with Malick's trademark ramblings on the nature of life, humanity, and the universe.
There is something to take home from The Thin Red Line and that is the awful nature of war and violence. It's interesting, in that Malick provides a beautiful film on war, but you must pause and meditate on the actions of the characters and their words for Malick's true message to come through.
This film was made almost 20 years after Days of Heaven, possibly the longest hiatus any filmmaker has taken. A-list actors were lining up to work with Malick when he came out of his cave and announced his plans for TTRL, so drenched in mystique he was. Some high profile celebrities that did shoot for the film did not even make it in the final cut.
A mystical and haunting look at war from an artist who fully embraces the spiritual nature of his films. Top work from a top director.