Too long, yet not long enough...

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 1999)

I felt the entire audience around me squirming waiting for A Thin Red Line to end. However, after having read the book myself, I kept wanting the movie to go into more detail. I wanted to see the characters progress, see them change, but that would have doubled the length of the film.
I can see how viewers who have not read the book could become lost, it took me a while to figure out which face belonged to each character. Knowing the details of the book helped to keep my interest throughout the film, I found myself constantly comparing the way I had envisioned James Jones' novel to the way Terrance Malick portrayed the events.
The colors and images of the film were a pleasure to watch. I pictured a much darker setting reading the novel, while the film is often bright and colorful.
The casting was great in some areas, strange in others. The main problems I saw in the casting were apparent cameos by some big Hollywood names. I did hear that many of those roles were much larger in the screenplay, but cropped in the final product. I honestly never saw either Bill Pullman or Mickey Rourke.
Making this film was a huge undertaking and I am glad Malick did. I would steer anyone expecting a mainstream movie far clear of the film. I suggest reading the novel first, and then again after as well.