Half the time, I couldn t follow what was happening when and whether it was real or not. Colonel Tall barks out orders. Following a battle weary troop in the heat of battle is a time honored war movie convention. Under the strain of unremitting battle, strong men crack. By focusing on individuals, the mental explosions can often overpower the barrage of bullets and bombs.
Some characters crack, some rise to the situation.
The Thin Red Line follows this simple war line, but twists and turns it into an unrecognizable pattern. Many elements of the script do not ring true, and this is of the utmost importance when capturing an audience in a film rife with realism. Set on Guadalcanal as US forces are trying to turn the tide of the war, The Thin Red Line is one ambling and bloody walk up the hill of battle. An all-star cast cannot inject any excitement into what should have been a stirring war epic. Casting James Caviezel and Ben Chaplin in two main roles appears as a major mistake to me.