The Thin Red Line (1998)

Director Terrence Malick's adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writers:

James Jones (novel), Terrence Malick (screenplay)

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Lt. Col. Gordon Tall
Jim Caviezel	...	Pvt. Witt
Sean Penn	...	1st Sgt. Edward Welsh
Elias Koteas	...	Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros
Ben Chaplin	...	Pvt. Bell
Dash Mihok	...	Pfc. Doll
John Cusack	...	Capt. John Gaff
Adrien Brody	...	Cpl. Fife
John C. Reilly	...	Sgt. Storm
Woody Harrelson	...	Sgt. Keck
Miranda Otto	...	Marty Bell
Jared Leto	...	2nd Lt. Whyte
John Travolta	...	Brig. Gen. Quintard
George Clooney	...	Capt. Charles Bosche
Nick Stahl	...	Pfc - Beade

Storyline

In World War II, the outcome of the battle of Guadalcanal will strongly influence the Japanese advance into the Pacific theater. A group of young soldiers is brought in as a relief for the battle-weary Marines. The exhausting fight for a strategically-positioned airfield that allows control over a 1000-mile radius puts the men of the Army rifle company C-for-Charlie through hell. The horrors of war form the soldiers into a tight-knit group; their emotions develop into bonds of love and even family. The reasons for this war get further away as the world for the men gets smaller and smaller until their fighting is for mere survival and the life of the other men with them.

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Plot Keywords:

guadalcanal | soldier | japanese | private | survival | 

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Taglines:

Every man fights his own war.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for realistic war violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox

Country:

USA

Language:

English Tok Pisin Japanese Greek

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

La delgada línea roja

Filming Locations:

Bramston Beach, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$52,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£83,657 (UK) (26 February 1999)

Gross:

$36,385,763 (USA) (7 May 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Geisler-Roberdeau, Phoenix Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Right after Captain Staros ('Elias Koteas') has his big confrontation with Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) where he refuses to make a frontal attack on the ridge he hangs up the sound power and mutters something in Greek. What he mutters is: "He's lost it. He doesn't know what he's saying." Roughly: "Ta echi chasi aftos," then "xery tee moo lay." (This is not in the book; however, as Koteas is Greek, he may have added it himself.)

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Goofs

In one of the flashback scenes where the soldier and his girlfriend are holding hands, modern cars can be seen out the window in the background.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Private Edward P. Train: What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?

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Crazy Credits

Composer Wrangler. . . Moanike'ala Nakamoto

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Connections

Featured in The Editing of the 'The Thin Red Line': Shaping a Terrence Malick Film (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Annum per Annum"
Composed by Arvo Pärt
Organ performed by Andrew Lucas

User Reviews

Malick's Heavenly War

This film is unlikely to be appreciated by audiences reared upon a diet of dumbed-down Hollywood action fare. However, if you're prepared to sit down and watch THE THIN RED LINE with no interruptions and give it the attention it deserves, you'll be rewarded with one of the most intelligent, poetic and stunningly beautiful films you're ever likely to see.

Director Terrence Malick's films are alive with a sense of pure cinema with every frame delivering such detail and richness that you could swear you were there. The only other person capable of bringing such an immediate sense of time and place and sheer nuance of film (although in a completely different way) is David Lean, another major league craftsman.

Here, again, Malick uses his customary voice-over device although this time as a means of vocalising the abstract thoughts of the various soldiers as they struggle to make some sense of the conflict. It's an interesting approach which allows the audience to identify with the characters in a far less superficial way than in, say, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (the film THE THIN RED LINE is most often and most unfairly compared to). Malick is also not afraid to take time to illustrate the continuing natural backdrop to the carnage. Mother Nature almost seems to be occupying a pivotal supporting role as a detached observer on the sidelines, calmly and inscrutably watching the chaos develop.

It's a measure of Malick's complete disinterest with the normal conventions of Hollywood that actors such as Lucas Haas, Vigo Mortensen, Jason Patric, Mickey Rourke, Martin Sheen and Billy Bob Thornton all spent months in Queensland Australia and the Solomon Islands filming roles that ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. Blink and you'll also miss major marquee players such as John Travolta and George Clooney. The stand-out performances come from Jim Caviezel and, especially, Nick Nolte.

Nolte just seems to be getting better and better as he gets older and his portrayal of tyrant Colonel Tall is something to see. I have never seen anyone express such an impotent sense of rage, anger and fury than Nolte does here. It's a fantastic performance from a real pro and it's a mystery to me why he didn't get an Oscar.

John Toll's pristine cinematography and Hans Zimmer's wonderfully evocative (Oscar-winning) score are other strong elements. The unusual music and visuals contrast so well that Malick sometimes fades out the noise of the shouting, explosions and guns, an effect that only serves to heighten the emotional power of the experience further.

You won't see a more beautiful film about the horrors of war. Movies like this make the task of trawling through the weekly diet of dumb formulaic junk served up by Hollywood almost seem worthwhile.