Tragic War Poem

Rating: 9/10 (18 May 1999)

The Thin Red Line does what a war film should -- it makes a statement about the nature of man and the impact of war. Saving Private Ryan failed at the same task. It was an uninvolving docudrama. The Thin Red Line has mountains of thought placed in it. The beautiful cinematography assists Malick's depiction of war as a destructive force, not only against man, but against the land. It's wonderful how, at one point in the film, a character ponders man as a collective, and Malick obliges this thought by making it difficult to discern several of the main characters' identities. Definitely a must see.