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The Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line

7.5

The Thin Red Line

R·1998·171m

Summary

The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.

Cast

Jim Caviezel

Jim Caviezel

Pvt. Robert Witt

Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin

Pvt. Jack Bell

Dash Mihok

Dash Mihok

Pfc. Don Doll

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson

Sgt. William Keck

Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall

Sean Penn

Sean Penn

1st Sgt. Edward Welsh

John Cusack

John Cusack

Capt. John Gaff

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody

Cpl. Geoffrey Fife

John Travolta

John Travolta

Brig. Gen. David Quintard

Jared Leto

Jared Leto

2nd Lt. William Whyte

George Clooney

George Clooney

Capt. Charles Bosche

Elias Koteas

Elias Koteas

Capt. James Staros

John C. Reilly

John C. Reilly

Sgt. Maynard Storm

John Dee Smith

Pvt. Edward Train

Kirk Acevedo

Kirk Acevedo

Pvt. Alfredo Tella

Mark Boone Junior

Mark Boone Junior

Pvt. Christopher Peale

Matt Doran

Matt Doran

Pvt. Howard Coombs

Paul Gleeson

Paul Gleeson

1st Lt. George "Brass" Band

Don Harvey

Don Harvey

Sgt. Paul Becker

Arie Verveen

Arie Verveen

Pfc. Charlie Dale

Thomas Jane

Thomas Jane

Pvt. Ash

Donal Logue

Donal Logue

Marl (uncredited)

John Savage

John Savage

Sgt. Jack McCron

Nick Stahl

Nick Stahl

Pfc. Edward Bead

Miranda Otto

Miranda Otto

Marty Bell

Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson

Pvt. Brian Tills

Larry Romano

Larry Romano

Pvt. Frank Mazzi

Penelope Allen

Witt's Mother

Danny Hoch

Danny Hoch

Pvt. Leonardo Carni

Benjamin Green

Melanesian Villager

Simon Billig

Lt. Col. Billig

Jarrod Dean

Cpl. Thorne

Travis Fine

Travis Fine

Pvt. Weld

David Harrod

Cpl. Queen

Don Harvey

Don Harvey

Sgt. Becker

Michael McGrady

Michael McGrady

Pvt. Floyd

Stephen Spacek

Stephen Spacek

Cpl. Jenks

Steven Vidler

Steven Vidler

2nd Lt. Gore

Will Wallace

Will Wallace

Pvt. Hoke

Todd Wallace

Pilot

Simon Westaway

Simon Westaway

First Scout

Dan Wyllie

Dan Wyllie

Medic #1

Randall Craig

Navy Gunner (uncredited)

Kick Gurry

Kick Gurry

(uncredited)

Randall Duk Kim

Randall Duk Kim

Nisei Interpreter (uncredited)

Darrin Klimek

Darrin Klimek

(uncredited)

Dane Moreton

Pvt. Alexander (uncredited)

Ray Samuelson

Navy Soldier (uncredited)

Justin Ward

Navy Soldier (uncredited)

Felix Williamson

Felix Williamson

Private Drake (uncredited)

Norman Patrick Brown

Pvt. Henry

Sam Arnold

Sam Arnold

Sgt Mitchell (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Terrence Malick

Novel

James Jones

Reviews

C

CRCulver

September 1, 2018

6

The circumstances around Terence Malick's <i>The Thin Red Line</i> are sometimes more talked about than the film itself. The reclusive director had made a big splash in the Seventies, but there followed two decades of silence. When he finally reappeared in 1998 to direct this adaptation of James Jones's novel about the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War&nbsp;II, many actors were desperate to work with him and he was able to gather a large ensemble cast. He shot over five hours of footage but had to cut it down to three, leaving out many actors entirely from the finished version.

<i>The Thin Red Line</i> tells of the American battle against Japanese forces on the island from the landing on its beach to the time the initial troops are relieved and sail off for some new, unknown deployment. But it actually begins shortly before this when Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), who has been AWOL and living with the local Melanesian people on a nearby island, is discovered by a patrol and brought in before his sargeant. The battle itself involves the men of C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division: besides Caviezel as Witt, major roles are played by Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson, Adrien Brody and Ben Chaplin. Elias Koteas is Capt. Staros, who tries to look out for his men, while a hyperbolic Nick Nolte plays their commander who sees the infantry as nothing but cannon fodder to wrecklessly throw at the Japanese.

For most of its 3-hour length, the men are torn apart by Japanese machine gun fire as they try to take a hill, but the enemy is never directly seen. Between scenes of great violence, there are portentous voiceovers by various characters as they meditate on what war says about the larger human drama. Eventually US forces are able to overcome Japanese positions, and the Japanese side of the offensive is depicted with more fairness and equanimity than in most American films on the Pacific Theatre of the war.

While the realistic depiction of battle might touch viewers -- and its hard to knock any World War&nbsp;II film since they spur one to read more about this crucial event in history, this is not a great film. It has obviously been cut heavily from its original length. John C. Reilly appears several times at the centre of shots, clearly meant to be a major character, but most of his scenes and all of his back story were cut. The philosophic voiceovers come across as pretentious instead of insightful. Furthermore, I find this a very "Hollywood" film, with the acting often exaggerated. Woody Harrelson doesn't play a WWII grunt, he plays Woody Harrelson. George Clooney appears at the end and all realism goes out the window: there's no way this suave, handsome leading man has been fighting a war for some time now. Hans Zimmer's musical score too obviously pulls the audience towards prescribed emotions.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$52,000,000.00

Revenue:

$98,126,565.00

Keywords

epic
based on novel or book
steel helmet
world war ii
battle assignment
invasion
infantry
marine corps
us army
commander
rifle
pacific war
gun battle
jungle
sergeant
pacific island
soldier
battle
fighting
guadalcanal
pacific theater
anti war
awol
japanese army
1940s
philosophic conflict
battlefield trauma
shell shocked soldier
ww2
philosophical depiction of war