“Writer-director Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” will undoubtedly face unfavorable comparisons with director Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” because of “Saving Private Ryan’s” ground-breaking battle scenes. But in my opinion, “The Thin Red Line” is a far superior film.
While Spielberg’s film focused more on the chaos and carnage of battle, Malick’s film focuses more on the details most directors would overlook or minimize, such as the lives of the people who fought in the war, the natives whose homeland served as a battlefield, and the lush, verdant foliage where the fighting takes place.
The plot of Spielberg’s film is more conventional. The characters had a single objective which is established early in the film. In “The Thin Red Line,” there is no obvious objective other than survival. Instead, Malick uses the movie to make a profoundly aesthetic statement on human nature and how we get caught up in something we do not understand. To deliver his message, Malick brilliantly and beautifully juxtaposes life with death (the fertile landscape of Guadalcanal seems to encompass the battlefields, offering a stark contrast to the brutal realism depicted in the film’s battles), heaven with hell (Private Bell, played by newcomer Ben Chaplin, is constantly reminded of his wife during the course of the film). Academy Award winner John Toll (“Braveheart”) deserves special credit for the breathtaking cinematography. His camera seems to glide over the gorgeous panorama. Although the characters are often confused during the film’s battle scenes, we the audience get a more all-knowing view of this sweeping spectacle.
“The Thin Red Line” is a realistic film, but it is not nearly as violent as “Saving Private Ryan.” Spielberg’s use of graphic brutality was so pervasive that it was numbing. Malick’s use of violence is almost discreet (and in a way much more visceral) in comparison.
Many popular actors in cameo roles
With a few notable exceptions (Tom Hank’s subtle performance in “Saving Private Ryan” was both sensitive and haunting), it was difficult to develop an emotional bond with the characters in “Saving Private Ryan.” However, in “The Thin Red Line,” all of the actors pull their weight; there are no slackers in this cast. Amidst a fine ensemble, Nick Nolte makes his mark with a terrific tour de force performance that just cries Oscar. Despite his character’s over-the-top nature, Nolte is completely believable as the war-crazed sargeant. Also, the always dependable Sean Penn gives a credible performance as a soldier who has yet to be desensitized by the violence. “The Thin Red Line” boasts a big name cast, but the bulk of the big names (John Travolta, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, and John Cusack) have only brief cameos. The film’s meatier roles are given to several relatively unknown actors such as Jim Caviezel and Chaplin. Surprisingly enough, these fresh faces manage to make indelible impressions. It won’t be long before these young men will have talent agents swarming at their doorsteps.
Although “Saving Private Ryan” was an anti-war movie, it ended on a patriotic note. Malick’s film is more neutral. Malick simply chronicles events and lets the viewer make his or her own decisions. While carefully avoiding didacticism and pretentiousness, Malick shows how war is just a terrible waste of human life.
Let’s hope that “The Thin Red Line” gets some deserved recognition come Oscar time. It will certainly be a welcome addition to my video collection, and as far as I’m concerned, it is definitely the best film of the year.”