The Thin Red Line (1998)
"The Thin Red Line" tells the story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who took part in the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal, but the way in which this story is told transcends the boundaries of the war film genre.
Cast and Information
Directed By: Terrence Malick
Written By: Terrence Malick, James Jones
Starring: Woody Harrelson, John Cusack, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, Sean Penn, George Clooney, John Travolta, Elias Koteas, Adrien Brody, Nick Stahl, Jared Leto, Miranda Otto
Where to Stream
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The Thin Red Line belongs to 129 collections
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 18 |  |
djross | 99 99th |
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The greatest American film of the 1990s and the greatest cinematic exploration of the human propensity for war. Space limitations prevent adequate analysis: it is an adaptation of Martin Heidegger's An Introduction to Metaphysics as much as of James Jones's novel, but even this fails to indicate the scope. First viewing should definitely be at a well-equipped large-screen cinema with high-quality sound. This is so beginning from the first shot of the film. A singular achievement.
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| 10 |  |
KAH | 4 93rd |
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Just as much a metaphysical exploration of human nature as it is a war film in the classical sense. It doesn't bother to depict winners and losers, heroes and villains, but seeks instead to find the core of evil. It offers no answers of course, but it asks the right questions, which make it a philosophical work more worthy of the term anti-war than any other film. Its impressive visual qualities threaten to undermine the overall focus for some viewers, but will enhance it for others.
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| 9 | Hursty | 72 66th |
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A reluctant group of poets take on THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN
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| 9 |  |
KMcNeil | 10 98th |
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(Third watch,bluray) Overtly warping our concept of the depiction of war, 'The Thin Red Line' is Malick at his poetic best. One could argue that it's too pretty, well-planned and meticulously constructed given the material, but that would be an overly dogmatic approach to art. On the contrary, the staccato-esque "war turns men into dogs" voice-overs coupled with picturesque compositions (balance is the key word here) forces the viewer into a weird borderland between nightmare and dream.
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| 7 |  |
Pickpocket | 10 98th |
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Every shot of this is incredibly beautiful. It's like a painting on film, seriously. Superior to another war film, SPR, that came out the same year in every way.
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| 7 |  |
Alex Watkins | 6 98th |
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Few images have ever arrested me as that of Miranda Otto, carefree and smiling, swinging upside-down in the glow of the evening sun. Malick's gift is to be able to capture these moments which are beyond words, achieving a state of grace that hits on a level outside conscious thought or reason.
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| 7 |  |
omgfridge | 10 97th |
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Consistent in emotion and stunning scenes throughout the close to three hour running time. The closest film has got to capturing the spirit and the most realistic take on war. Casting is sensational and the talent shows in abundance. Terrence Malick makes every shot something to be remembered which further enhances the terrific storytelling.
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| 6 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93rd |
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A kaleidoscopic vision of man on a precipice, mortal and spiritual, somehow both fleeting in action but lingering in effect, beautifully shot.
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| 6 |  |
jmarkthespot | 100 99th |
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There are movies, then there are films, and then there are experiences. There came a point where I forgot I was watching something and had to remind myself I was simply looking at a screen. I'm absolutely blown away. No one can capture the overwhelming beauty like Malick can on a camera, his "God" POV is incredibly well established, and if I only had 24 hours to live I would literally spend 3 of them on this. And give it time; I have a feeling this will be a top ten all time film in 50 years.
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| 6 |  |
DavidBlast | 30 13th |
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Dear Terrence. So, you saw 'Apocalypse Now' and wanted to make you own version. This is fine. But did you have to make it so long, Terrence? Did you have to examine every single war movie cliché? Did you think that your pseudo-poetic approach would make it interesting? It didn't, Terrence. It made it pretentious. Pretentious and unbelievably boring. So Terrence, the next time you think you have a poetic angle on the profane that you want to share, please remember that WE KNOW ALREADY!
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| 6 |  |
Cinema_Asia | 95 98th |
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War is not something depicted with heroic musical refrains or pulsing action beats. There's a mournful tone throughout. Malick understood it's not good versus evil but humanity giving itself over to something chaotic and primal. There's an elemental soulfulness in this film like his other works where he ties human existence with its connection with nature. The camera seems to flow naturally from individual to individual as if they were all sharing the same nightmarish fugue state.
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| 6 |  |
Bunken | 100 99th |
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This movie kind of sums up why Terrence Malick is one of my favourite directors. He is capable of capturing sheer beauty in all of his film and you just sit back in awe. You almost forget the storyline (Which by the way also is really good) when Malick takes you on a ride through one magnificent frame by another...
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| 6 |  |
juntakinte99 | 100 97th |
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This is a perfect introduction to anyone curious as to why actors, filmmakers, and audiences have such love for Malick. Here he recaptures the novelistic tone of his 1970's films. He also provides a glimpse of the beautiful visual poetry his future films would have. That fusion extends to his existential concerns (about man, war, and nature) as well as his character's philosophical thoughts. Penn is amazing, and it is fun to hear all the places the film's music has been ripped off. A classic.
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| 5 |  |
Big Lemons | 97 99th |
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This film is long, contemplative and is probably the most beautiful war film ever shot. The violence has a balletic flair. Some of the best battle sequences on film can be found here; you can really feel the fear the soldiers' faces at every moment.
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| 5 |  |
Hawkins | 88 87th |
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Leave it to Terrence Malick to make a WWII film about taking the most scenic hill in the pacific theater, a film so star-studded it often comes off like one of those righteous political ads where a slew of A-listers finish each others sentences. But it's as gritty as it is pretty, and often embraces genre convention just as successfully as it subverts it - some of the 'slo-mo battle with string section' sequences are the most powerful I've ever experienced.
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| 4 |  |
Icarus | 99 98th |
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Malick uses war as a window into the makings of human beings, the roots of good and evil, and the mystery of a beauty that endures in spite of senseless killing. The main narrative follows the paradoxical Witt, who begins the film focused on the thought of death while living in paradise, only to increasingly embrace the light and goodness in the world, even as death seems to creep ever closer to his world. The film stands as a wonderful meditation on questions that really matter in life.
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| 4 |  |
BillyShears | 100 98th |
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Shut up in a tomb. Can't lift the lid. Playing a role I never concieved. Nick Nolte is just as amazing as the cinematography in this.
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| 4 |  |
WWallce4prez | 94 99th |
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TTRL seeks to depict the reality of war, but Malick does this by turning his back to the typical visceral and hard-hitting affect that most films in this genre cling to. Instead, the audience views individual struggles of each man along side the antagonistic pairs that are so beautifully intertwined in the film. The most defining opposite, the destruction of war vs the beauty of nature, is absolutely gorgeous in its capture through the lens. There are no other war films quite like this one.
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| 4 |  |
rosvall | 40 19th |
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"What if WW2 wore fought by pseudophilsophical retards"
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| 4 |  |
Tjekhov | 90 96th |
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An epic visual poem, that Homer couldn't have written any better. Mallicks best.
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| 4 |  |
Noblet | 86 87th |
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I loved the contrast between the calm introspection and intense battle scenes. The movie looks amazing, the island is shot beautifully. The few characters that get a lot of screen-time are superb, and all of the actors do a terrific job. This film does seem a bit unfocused, but it's still a very good and unique look into a fairly overused setting.
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| 3 |  |
MartinTeller | 92 96th |
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Malick doesn't know how to make a film that isn't beautiful. It's done in such an impressionistic and surreal manner that the beauty actually makes war more horrifying. Through the characters, he manages to express a great deal about war, fear, death, nature. Despite the intensity of the battle scenes, it somehow ends up being a "quiet" film about war, which is a remarkable thing. While it rambles a bit, it never feels inappropriate to do so. A movie completely commands your attention.
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| 3 |  |
doctor7 | 90 91st |
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Suffered because Saving Private Ryan came out around the exact same time and SPR had the shell-shocking opening 20 minutes which no one will ever forget. I think that while this movie doesn't have any one scene as powerful as that the entire movie on a whole is more consistantly great that SPR.
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| 3 |  |
frederic_g54 | 9 90th |
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(after repeat viewings) The definitive anti-war film, a visually striking epic whose humanistic approach makes a bold case against the use of violence without justifying the need for it (as most war films tend to do). A must see.
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| 3 |  |
TreyAtwood | 80 80th |
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Maybe the only war movie I've seen that doesn't take death for granted.
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| 3 |  |
Barthalen | 90 97th |
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For almost 3 hours I was transfixed to my screen, swept away by the gorgeous imagery and at the same time repulsed by the actions of man. Since it's (partly) a war movie it can't avoid some genre cliches, but those are irrelevant in the big picture. The musings on war, life, death, nature and the purpose of man might seem pretentious, but really make all the difference. I can't exactly say why this film got such an emotional reaction out of me, but I'm glad it did.
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| 3 |  |
ZayanK | 93 91st |
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Anyone who thinks this is a "war movie" may as well shut the hell up.
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| 3 |  |
hellboy76 | 73 89th |
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A lot of people prefer this to Saving Private Ryan, I think it's pretty close. Obviously it is beautiful, and lush, but occasionally I just felt as if it was trying a little too hard. My grandfather watched it with me (he was on the second boat to land at Guadalcanal) and he said " I didn't have a lot of time to be introspective, I was too busy eating spiders and shitting in a hole". lol
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| 2 | kristapley | 100 99th |
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Director Terrence Malick was touched by God as he poetically waxed philosophic on the nature of man's war with himself and the cyclical reality of strife. Adapted from a James Jones novel and whittled from hours of surely usable material into an epic introspection, the film contains one of the most ironically organic enesmbles collected on film - ironic given the star-caliber across the board, thespians typically quite at home headlining their own vehicles. The only star here is Terrence Mali
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| 2 |  |
grimsooth | 84 89th |
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A war movie as they were meant to be. Brutality driven by the detached war machine. It's senseless, and even those who live simply die inside. There are no heroes here.
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| 2 |  |
ktappe | 97 92nd |
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Disturbingly amazing. To me this is the best war film--better than Private Ryan, better than Platoon. Those were great at times but inconsistent, sometimes dropping the ball. Thin Red Line is consistently moving throughout, never letting up, never letting you feel at ease, just as these soldiers were never able to ease up as they feared for their lives 24/7.
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| 2 |  |
KasperL | 80 86th |
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Voices over absolutely sublime cinematography. A lyrical rather than narrative form. Malick's style of filmmaking is an acquired taste. Through Penn's character he seems to propose that man is an island, consequently asking questions of morals about obeying orders in war, with a scene between Elias Koteas and Nick Nolte, both electric, being the standout. The many big-name cameos get a bit distracting.
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| 2 |  |
Luna6ix | 86 92nd |
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Although I'll take the gritty realism of "Saving Private Ryan" over the beauty of this one any day, great cinematography and character development also have a place in my heart. The narration and characterization here are the greatest parts.
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| 2 |  |
tathiel | 95 99th |
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Highly philosophical, complex movie but one to which I could relate best. Although one does tend to compare it to other movies like Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and what not this movie has its own qualities. The multi-narrative structure enriches the movie to a very high degree, so that you get to know nearly all facets of war and the message is even stronger.
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| 2 |  |
NathanDarko | 95 93rd |
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This movie tells,in an impressing way,the story of the results of war. About the secret fears and doubts of the soldiers. It's one of the most poetic movies that handle this topic. Beside this fact "the Thin red line" has a beautiful cinematography with some stunning slomo shots. Awesome movie experience.
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| 2 |  |
billkerwin | 95 94th |
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Discursive, lacking in action . . . but that's Malick for you. I like this film a lot. It is much deeper and richer than the overly praised "Saving Private Ryan."
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| 2 |  |
krf7 | 100 99th |
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Hauntingly beautiful piece of cinema; every aspect of this film is perfection. I cannot even fault the pacing and the quick entry/exit of seemingly major characters, because Malick intended the movie to be far longer than the released cut.
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| 2 |  |
EbelC | 30 13th |
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Unbelievable... and it was meant to be 6-hour long. It's boring and superficial. Yes, everyone is telling it's deep and realistic, but it's not because it has that idea that war makes all men poets, it has no true characters because they're all the same. One character says at some point: "I look at that boy dyin', I don't feel nothin'. I don't care about nothin' anymore". That's what I felt for them all, the whole movie. I just don't care about those unrealistic and idealized people.
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| 2 |  |
MArkjp | 25 6th |
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This will receive a thorough thrashing, once I manage to sit through the entire whopping 170 minutes without falling asleep.
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| 2 |  |
Cook3777 | 90 94th |
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it should be illegal to portray our soldiers as being such pussys. when I play call of duty i never act like such a puss
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| 2 |  |
Hofschneider | 95 97th |
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The best war movie ever made (if this is one).
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| 2 |  |
lex | 85 67th |
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Overwhelming and somewhat aimless, even by Malick standards, but also amazingly filmed and conceived, even by Malick standards. It's been my first viewing and I know I'll get back to this one but I didn't really end up taking much out of this from a philosophy standpoint. It's a film with a lot of ideas and emotions: a whole lot more than a simple war film, and it ends up feeling beautifully original and oddly disjointed at the same time.
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| 1 |  |
fudgieb | 100 99th |
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My favorite war film of all time. It is worth every aching second. The best cast I think I've ever seen. It takes such a unique, artistic, and realistic look at war...it's unlike anything ever done. Why this movie was a flop, I'll never know. Another case of people just being too damn stupid. You wait and see...this one will be more famous 20 years from now than it was when it first came out.
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| 1 |  |
eveelun | 79 72nd |
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The spectacular photography and intense battle scenes are well complemented by introspective philosophical musings, though some of these thoughts are more profound than others. I wouldn't say characterization is one of it's strong points, either, but I suppose with a film like this, where man is positioned within the world of nature, that characterization is somewhat besides the point.
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| 1 |  |
Actionberg | 85 84th |
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The thing I probably appreciate most is the film's unabashed attempt at overwhelming complexity. War is a nonsensical smorgasbord of noise and horror, amounting to so little in the face of nature. The men may be wrapped up in their friendships, their spirituality, their failings, and their loves, but the grass keeps blowing all the same. The depiction of the difficulties of leadership is easily one of its most successful aspects, and the film gets less interesting without Nolte/Koteas in hour 3.
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 63 60th |
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I was lenient with this at first. The best this has going for it is the high production values, the budget. It boasts a cast of star actors and impressive visuals. It's also tense and entertaining, but that's about it. It doesn't really escape war movie cliché, and suffers from the flowery, pseudu-philosophical voiceover musings I've come to expect from Malick. I get that he was trying to contrast war's uglyness with nature's beauty, but why? It's really too pretty for it's own good.
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| 1 |  |
yoohoo | 95 97th |
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The most cerebral anti-war movie I have ever seen. I don't know if that was Malick's intention or not, but getting into the head of every. single. character was an effective way of truly showing you the horrors of war and the toll it takes on people. It isn't just ptsd after the fact, it is true and absolute fear in the eyes of every man that is sent to their deaths. Wow. What a powerful movie. Possibly the best movie I never want to watch again.
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| 1 |  |
Kavu | 84 83rd |
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Stunning cinematography, overabundance of stars and lack of focus. Did I mention the cinematography?
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| 1 |  |
lrampartl | 0 0th |
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The worst war movie of all time, and probably the worst movie of all time. Terrible dialogue, horrible casting, horrible pacing. The "war" scenes stink, the narration is bad, and the film is entirely too long. Complete waste of a reel of film and time. Avoid at all costs.
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| 1 |  |
teknicolor | 60 48th |
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Some great nature shots, and a great story about the nature of war, but otherwise not a movie I would watch again. Caviezel's character is so unbelievable it ruined most of the movie.
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| 1 |  |
Derekstar | 90 85th |
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God damn, Malick is my man. A war film that has very little to do with war. I really liked how the prelude and aftermath was the majority of the film. World War II films commonly get pulled down into idealized horseshit. Here we had people acting dishonourably and breaking under pressure. We've seen this in war films, naturally, but it's still all too rare in World War Ii films. But. I mean, that's all secondary to the existencialism that defines every Malick film. Marvelous.
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PeaceAnarchy | 90 94th |
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In many ways it's a conventional large cast war film. The rousing music, the climactic moments, the small infusion of humanity and the similar yet easily identified character molds. And yet, despite all this, Malick manages to make all this feel surprisingly unique with a slow but constantly active pace and stunning visual composition. The actors play their roles well and once I got past the initial "hey look it's ..." moments they very much became their characters.
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| 1 | SOLARIS | 100 0th |
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The 90's were a great decade for cinema, giving 2 films (Heat, The Thin Red Line) that were truly original and flawless. The Thin Red Line is only Malick's third film, but it is riveting and to date holds the record of the best war picture ever made. It was robbed of it's well deserved oscars by the more mediocre Saving Private Ryan. This is the film that seperates a true lover of cinema from the average movie goer.
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twincinema | 70 53rd |
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A beautiful piece of cinema that left me feeling cold. I understand Malick and his intentions (or at least, I pretend to), but this one didn't work me. Its contemplative, philosophical nature was just too much for me. I apologize, film fans.
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| 1 | owen1218 | 65 38th |
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Fairly well shot, but the drama feels somewhat forced and there's little else to the film except for people going around shooting one another.
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JooJoo | 6 95th |
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There is something missing to make this a true masterpiece but hell if I can figure out what, probably could benefit from a longer version despite its 3-hour run. I KNOW MALICK HAS ONE
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prowler | 53 52nd |
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By all rights this should've been a masterpiece. This is undermined by two things: Caviezel is already auditioning to be Mel Gibson's Jesus, and Malick insists too much on the faux-poetic musings of the soldiers, which takes away from the actual poetry of their condition.
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Mentaculus | 99 98th |
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"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break." - Chinese Proverb
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emtilt | 96 98th |
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This is the best war film of recent decades. It's typical Malick, and that's a really good thing.
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sebby | 90 98th |
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If anyone but Malick attempted a beautiful, poetic, largely philosophical take on World War II, the result would be -- at best -- a pretentious mess. But, it's Malick, and so what you get is an astonishing, revelatory film experience.
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LookingLand | 100 99th |
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best film ever.
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cgcore | 55 38th |
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fails from all aspects except cinematography. terrible casting and dialogue. some extremely pointless scenes. tries to get poetic but just becomes more boring.
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Bitch Alert | 100 97th |
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Quite possibly the best war film ever.
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Vandelay1 | 83 92nd |
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nice movie
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nauru | 90 98th |
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One of the best war movies I've ever seen. Saving Private Ryan doesn't even come close to the direction, imagery, and story-telling quality on display here.
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Calexico | 100 99th |
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A gorgeous, heartbreaking, breathtaking masterpiece.
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| 1 | Astrophizz | 75 50th |
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The way it bounced between characters with little development seemed to muddle any message(s) Malick was trying to convey. To me it came out as a hodgepodge of characters and their thoughts, shuffled together. Extremely ambitious though and it looked great.
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Okkervil | 89 95th |
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Undoubtedly one of the great war movies. It looks brilliant, & the performances are without exception supurb. I am particuarly fond of Malick's use of music, which is outstanding. The contrast between the intense battle scenes & the calm thoughtful monologues is very effective too. That said if I have one complaint it's that at times the introspection evident during both monologues & dialogue in general is perhaps a bit too lyrical & full on when it comes from so many of the characters.
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Bown | 91 94th |
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One of the single best-looking films I've ever seen, especially with the amazing Criterion Blu-Ray transfer. So many sublimely beautiful shots. Other than that, it's a great war flick with human exploration that goes much deeper than the typical "WAR IS STUPID AND HELL AND MEN DO BAD THINGS IN IT" that plagues pretty much every single war film ever - there's a reason the word "metaphysical" is getting tossed around a lot. Could have done with more individual character development, but still.
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wetwillies | 90 80th |
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It's awesome to me that Terrence Malick will do something like cut out of all of George Clooney's lines except for one short scene, or completely remove actors like Gary Oldman. Seriously awesome. It's even more awesome that he replaces them with all of those shots of nature which, in his hands, become incredibly beautiful. However, this one has good performances from an all-star cast and quite a few incredible scenes to go along with that photography. And yeah, better than Saving Private Ryan.
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mwgerb | 73 89th |
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I think the divorce letter and Witt's final moments were stunningly beautiful scenes. And the nature imagery is fantastic as well. It's not so much a war film, or even an anti-war film. It's an anti "war film" film. Its intentional avoidance of conforming to the norms of the genre can have a mixed effect: sometimes alienating, sometimes transcendent.
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| 1 | Ruslandgaga | 92 63rd |
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Loved it. If you hate slow movies, then you will probably hate this one.
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svenerik | 100 98th |
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Malick's greatest film? Yes, I think it is. Both gut wrenching and thought provoking, this film accentuates the abject fear and confusion of modern warfare. It features memorable performances from Harrelson, Nolte, Koteas, Penn & Chaplin, but the heart of the film is the staggeringly effective and affecting understated performance by Jim Caviezel as Witt.
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VinegarBob | 50 25th |
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"Okay boys, we have to take that bunker! Now it's not gonna be easy, but rest assured - oh look, a turtle".
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McHale | 10 1st |
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The only reason I did not give this pretentious movie a single digit score was because it was so overly acted that what should have been serious scenes, became hilarious. And scenes would change from a documentary feel with people randomly explaining themselves to unseen partners, to some kind of stageplay with overacted, dramatic dialogue. The action was what can be expected from a modern movie
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chrisjdgrady | 5 76th |
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Difficult to describe, but anyone who has seen and enjoyed it probably understands why I loved it. It is art, and it is a journey, and it is moving. It really sucked me in and will be something that I believe will stick with me for a long time.
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SlantMag | 40 97th |
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"The Thin Red Line's hallucinatory blend of images defines the very essence of cinema." - Rob Humanick
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Elysian Air | 98 95th |
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Not only is it fair to say that The Thin Red Line is the greatest war film ever made, it's also fair to say that it's one of the greatest films ever made. The story isn't about warfare per se, although that's what transpires; this isn't a film about death, this is a film about life. As usual in Malick's work, the narration provides a beautiful cohesion to the cinematography and the narrative, transcending the constricting chains of the genre.
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knuth | 85 89th |
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What are people doing on an island in the pacific ocean fighting in the jungle for a piece of ground? Malick presents a visually astonishing philosophy lesson. The only bad things are the length of the film and the too much voiceovers.
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goremeat | 80 76th |
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Certainly has its moments and some beautiful photography, but overall it was a little detached and awkward. The Noble Savage and collective consciousness stuff was noticeably rough and simplistic. Didn't resonate with me particularly strongly.
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Huah | 97 96th |
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Malik takes us on a poignant journey of prosaic meditations on nature and philosophy, that he affronts in direct contrast the cataclysms of war and pernicious human bloodlust. From the perspective of the decorated General, down to the low ranked privates, it strolls down the long foyers' of these disgruntled men, some the most sensitive to others without a humanizing sentiment in their callous hearts. The absurdity of property, destruction of nature, trampled innocence, captured in a film.
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Paxton | 60 36th |
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If this was a full on war movie, it would be great. It isn't though. It's half war, and half introspective nonsense on a beautiful island.
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Skitchima | 40 6th |
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Looks pretty, but film is about storytelling too.
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alcyon | 75 76th |
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I loved the constant lingering on seemingly random detail. The grand events and vistas offset by the minute had some real impact and punch. Unfortunately the sublime visual poetry and charactirization was not backed up by meaningful poetic monologues or characterization.
Real letdowns were the foray into bog-standard-war-movie-mode. This seemed unneeded, as was the hamfisted noble savage contrast, both dulled and cheapened the supposed message considerably.
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| 1 | Nepeta | 95 96th |
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A dreamy poem of a movie built on mood and that ultimately you have to give yourself over to it - it is something you experience and feel. Looks at human nature, at the nature of good and evil, at how people react to the situation they find themselves in, at a deeply rooted yearning. At love and death and relationships and man's tendency to be drawn to war. Beautiful and stunning.
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TheEscapist | 61 23rd |
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Very slow and long film. It has some great nature shots, particularly enjoyed the animal shots. But I'd be better off watching a documentary for that. Tries too hard to be clever and philosophical, but ultimately falls flat if you're familiar with the science of nature. It does have some nice touching moments. Lots of big name actors on board though in most cases this isn't a good thing, not because of bad performances but it further took me out of the experience. Will not watch this again.
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Yiannos | 85 97th |
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A complex meditation on man's relationship to nature and his own violent tendencies.
Still the best war film made in the last 40 years, regardless of its flaws. Malick exercised more restraint here than he did on later efforts, and the battle scenes are superbly executed. The characters are also more like people, less like ciphers--despite the fact that they often represent philosophical positions--and Zimmer's string score rises and recedes with mournful majesty.
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Armilio | 55 16th |
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A new-age evangelization by Malick with an annoying voice-over. Dialogues, introspective scenes and the message are less deep than what Malick probably think. Beautifully shot of course, but i hate the pomposity and pretentiousness of this movie. Saying "I hate war, we are bad, nature is good, come back to live in the forest" it's too easy and dumb: the "noble savage" is outdated. And not a character who screams "shut the fuck up poets and let's go kill some japs!", i would have liked it.
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dardan | 95 98th |
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Man, seeking his way to beauty, to harmony, to grace, can while searching get lost or, better said, remain lost. Unknowingly enslaved as a function to an illusionary world, Malick captures them, and does so not by showing their world from their eyes, but by contrasting it to or by placing it within what he deems to be this sought-after natural order. In doing so he offers another solution to those of Ozu, Weerasethakul and Bergman.
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| 1 | flapjack6x | 99 98th |
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I can't stand war movies. I will likely never watch another war movie that I love as much as this film. Epic, meditative, suspenseful, powerful, and touching. One of the few films that had me not wanting to take my eyes off the screen, it was so hard to look away. Never will there be a better war movie then this one. At least in my eyes. A masterpiece.
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skap | 30 10th |
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War drama has always been on every great director's check list, only Malick is not a great one, but he thinks he is. A bunch of famous Hollywood actors dressed up as soldiers, giving some pretty default "war" performances (that is solemn to the point of being silly), and a thin script. What people mistake for High Art is the exaggeratedly slow pace and the cheesy "philosophical" voice-over. And why ALL the defeated Japanese are depicted as mental patients? Isn't it a bit racist? Fuck you Malick!
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feublo | 85 74th |
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TTRL is a stunning film with Malick's God-like view of nature and this time, meshed within the adversity of war. The agony from struggles often absent in the propaganda is well portrayed and again, Malick's use of voice-overs added to my emotional experience. It delves into the philosophy of war and humanity using a scope untouched by this genre.
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| Average Percentile 66.97% from 5758 Ratings |  |