The Thin Red Line SUCKED!!!

There might be spoilers in this thread, but thats a good thing in regards to this piece-O-CRAP! I know its been ten years since this movie was released, but you all seem the sort I want to wail too so here goes.

TRUE STORY

Its 1998 and I was still glowing from seeing Saving Private Ryan. the intensity and impact from Ryan was the greatest since Platoon. I see in PREMIERE magazine an article on this director Terrence Malick that was intriguing. Hes a man of mystery in Hollywood that directed two incredible films (I hadnt seen either) then disappeared. Sean Penn met him once and said hed star in his next film for a dollar.

The cast was off the charts incredible! It read like The Longest Day w/John Wayne and the all star cast! Clooney Travolta Nolte Penn Cusack Harrelson...even John Savage came out of hiding!

I went with a friend to the movie, but we sat in different sections. The first thing I remember thinking is "Damn thats some mighty good cinematography!", and the narration went on. A little talking scene, and more narration. And more. It wouldnt stop!

That all star cast was the introduction to movie fans the "bill them in the title so the public will buy the ticket though the star is in thye film 1-5 minutes" marketing! The dialogue was SO bad I was moving in my seat.

When that poor **** died at the end of the movie I BARELY kept myself from standing, and clapping!. Movie ends, I quickly leave the theatre, go right to the poster out front, take my ticket stub out, spit on it, and slapstuck it on the damned pretentious poster! My friend walked out, and my spaz was epic. He didnt like it because it was pretentious, but I was verbally warning people before they walked in! The damned overrated crap was nominated for Best Picture even!
Boy it sucked with braces

I debated whether to reply to this thread at all. This isn't a review, this is your rant and you offer no criticism to speak of about the film itself, just your emotional experience and reaction.

I'll grant you that Malick can be an acquired taste, and this film is long and plodding, but I disagree and say this is some of the most amazing narration ever about the nature of war, what it does to the men involved, and the human conflict between revulsion of what happens in war and man's need to conquer. And when the Jim Caziel (sp?) character dies at the end -- well, I also disagree. It is one of the most beautiful and poignant film moments I've ever seen.

My young son (he's 12), for some reason, is fascinated by this film and has watched it many, many times. And he has ADHD, lol. Something about this film mesmerizes him and he's in a trance when he watches it. We've had long discussions about whether man can live without war. For that alone, I'd say Malick created quite an interesting film to say the least.

I wonder why you're still seething about this film 10 years later!?

I didn't care for that movie but then I didn't much like the book either although it was the second of a three-book package that began with From Here to Eternity, which was both a great book and a great movie.

But then I didn't like Saving Pvt. Ryan either, which I found to be both silly and smarmy. Yeah, I know--everyone else loved it. That's OK--I don't mind being the only one to see its faults.

I have to agree with you about this film. My reaction when I saw this in the theater when it first came out paralleled yours. In fact it was one of the very few films in which I stood up and walked out. I felt

I study history and had studied the history of Guadalcanal quite a bit. At the time I saw the movie I had read at least 6 books devoted entirely to this campaign and this film ignored history to favor the director's message. It even ignored James Jones novel that it was supposedly based on.

This was a remake of a 1964 film of the same name and source, directed by Andrew Martin, which was a better film.