One of the greatest films of the 1990's

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 1999)

Say what you will, but Terence Malick's gorgeous opus was 1998's most stunning oscar contender. Although I enjoyed "Saving Private Ryan," and found "Shakespeare in Love" to be absolutely wonderful, neither film could match the profundity, depth, and utter beauty of "The Thin Red Line." In truth, "Saving Private Ryan," and "The Thin Red Line" should never be compared because their tones are so strikingly different. Yet Malick's representation of WWII is far more realistic, and less jingoistic than Spielberg's. Whereas Spielberg treats war as a necessary evil in "Saving Private Ryan" and looks at each one of his characters as a hero, Malick questions why people fight in the face of Eden and reveals his characters as flawed. There is no dramatic salute scene or shot of a waving American flag in "The Thin Red Line," for Malick's aim is far deeper than that of Spielberg's. Not only are the films performances well executed, and its themes amazingly explored, but "The Thin Red Line" is one of the most visually beautiful films created in recent history. The shots of waving grass exhibit the extreme beauty of Guadanacanal, and serve as the perfect contrast to the horrors of war the picture presents. "The Thin Red Line" is true cinematic poetry, and is destined to go down in history as one of the greatest war films of all time