3. The Thin Red Line
For many years, Terrence Malick was almost a myth. He had burst onto the scene in the early 70's with the one-two punch of Badlands and Days of Heaven and had helped to revitalize American cinema. Then, for 20 years he disappeared from moviemaking and rumors about what he was doing were rampant. Then in the late 90's, he returned with one of the most philosophical, and certainly the must gorgeous, war movies of all time. It could be said that The Thin Red Line is not actually about war but only uses it as its setting, rather the film is an exploration of philosophical ideas told through a series of remarkable images. Malick concerns himself primarily with juxtaposing images of brutal warfare with the pristine natural environment of Guadalcanal while hushed voiceovers betray the innermost thoughts of those involved. While soldiers in the heat of battle would likely never think like this in the midst of battle, The Thin Red Line is not concerned so much with realism as it about exploring ideas. Malick explores the idea of a "war in the heart of nature", soldiers fighting in the jungle are trapped in the process of life, death, and renewal and it is themes such as this that interest Malick, not in portraying a realistic depiction of the Battle of Guadalcanal. The Thin Red Line is not an easy film to watch for many people; it is slow, long, and not very action-packed,the story is told in a fragmented series of images rather than through action scenes and exposition, and characters come and go without the audience getting the chance to know them as they would in a more traditional film. If the viewer can get past these "flaws"and see the absolutely gorgeous film , both aesthetically and thematically, that the Thin Red Line is, few movie watching experiences will ever be more rewarding. The Thin Red Line is a movie that you likely will either love or hate but it is undoubtedly one of the most important war movies ever made. Martin Scorsese called it one of his favorite films of the 90's and praised the way it opened the door for new forms of visual storytelling. Overshadowed by Saving Private Ryan being released the same year, the question over which is the better film almost comes down to preference; Saving Private Ryan is much more gritty and realistic and is essentially the perfect traditional war film, The Thin Red Line on the other hand is more of a guided meditation through various themes and ideas. Saving Private Ryan will undoubtedly appeal to more people, but in my opinion, The Thin Red Line is the deeper, and more fulfilling of the two.