What might have been. . .

Rating: 2/10 (3 January 2000)

This film would have worked beautifully as an 8-minute short of poetry, imagery, and music. As it was, Malick took nearly 3 hours of our time with his indulgence. I believe the halo effect drove the film's popularity, and I felt that the billing weight given to well-known actors with minimal screen time was irresponsible, perhaps even dishonest. The Thin Red Line had all the ingredients for an exquisite piece of cinema, and it saddened me to see it fall so far short.