tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post2537479679816224353..comments2024-03-28T10:44:41.756-05:00Comments on The War Movie Buff: #100 - The Thin Red LineWar Movie Buffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-47315479560953614342023-12-20T17:53:09.475-06:002023-12-20T17:53:09.475-06:00I remember this movie being paired with Saving Pri...I remember this movie being paired with Saving Private Ryan, with the implication that they were similar movies. I wonder if this was a deliberate choice by the producers of The Thin Red Line, hoping to raise their box office draw by making their own film in effect a kind of high-brow Mockbuster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-84540004158654128222022-06-05T21:33:09.873-05:002022-06-05T21:33:09.873-05:00One of the worst movies.One of the worst movies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-46829311717614031582021-01-31T18:52:21.949-06:002021-01-31T18:52:21.949-06:00I feel this movie defines pompous and is more inte...I feel this movie defines pompous and is more interested in the director's POV than the novelpapajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-62002700603339646682017-12-22T20:10:16.385-06:002017-12-22T20:10:16.385-06:00Artsy is a good description. I would add fartsy.Artsy is a good description. I would add fartsy.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-72537314167404154232017-12-21T13:37:24.596-06:002017-12-21T13:37:24.596-06:00I liked the artsy nature of this film but I must a...I liked the artsy nature of this film but I must admit it's not one that ever enticed me to watch it again.Weaselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05873440251698488032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-78546619954500662612017-08-26T21:33:51.324-05:002017-08-26T21:33:51.324-05:00I really enjoyed your comments. Thanks. It is a ...I really enjoyed your comments. Thanks. It is a very polarizing movie and there are intelligent people on both sides. I understand the points you are making, but I feel that Malick overemphasized the tropical paradise aspects and underemphasized the critters, heat, and rain because they did not fit his theme. It is hard to argue that the production was incapable of showing rain and mud. As far as the sweating, it is a pet peeve of mine that war movies don't show climate well. I was specifically referring to the scenes below deck.<br /> War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-9000510508780551172017-08-26T17:06:11.380-05:002017-08-26T17:06:11.380-05:00I will admit I do technically have a bias, with Te...I will admit I do technically have a bias, with Terrence Malick being my favourite film director of all time and ultimately my greatest idol and greatest influence as a young film maker myself. However, I will try and offer my alternative opinion respectfully and objectively, as much as I can.<br /><br />To me this film is refreshing in how it strays from the conventions of the war genre, taking a typical Malickian philosophical approach, incredibly thought provoking. Together with the shots showing us the tremendous beauty of nature, in stark contrast to the horrors of war, and the meditative music, I find this film an immersive, strangely soothing, soul searching experience, every time I watch it. Many times now, and each time I see something new, feel something new, think something new.<br /><br />I really do think the contrast between the portrayal of the horrific brutality men are capable of, with the stunning beauty of nature, and how the actions of mankind fucked up mother nature's equilibrium in this part of the world, and by extension how it does on a wider scale, is worthy of much praise.<br /><br />I would argue that Guadalcanal, objectively, actually IS a tropical paradise, just not perhaps for men who are not used to that environment and especially considering what they were doing there. However Guadalcanal was a paradise for its' Melanesian inhabitants and it's non-human inhabitants alike. <br /><br />Some of your observations regarding the depiction of the environment are valid, however to me it felt like nit-picking complaining about no mosquitoes, no sweat on the troop ship. Respectfully, there was rain in the film albeit only in one shot which showed a soldier sitting topless in the rain, psychologically distressed. Around the time of third act. As a film maker I have suffered the unpredictability of weather, and how we cannot control it. Generally we don't want it to rain, then again maybe we need it to rain but it doesn't. Now on a film with a larger budget you could expect that they can make fake rain with sprinklers, but again we don't know what happened on this film and I know that it is often hectic, fast moving, and sometimes things don't work or don't come together as planned. Maybe they couldn't use their rain sprinklers (assuming they had them) very much due to some kind of technical issues, and then bearing in mind Malick's tendency to shoot huge amounts of footage and cut it down vastly for his film, he may have cut out a fair bit of rain. Similarly regarding the sweat, I argue that this was shown later in the film. When Colonel Tall came to Staros' position to assess the situation himself, there were topless men who looked pretty sweaty, and Tall chastised one of them for not wearing his "blouse". A little later a sweaty John Cusack walks along side Colonel Tall in mega hot weather complaining that the troops don't have enough water and he's worried they will actually start dying of thirst.<br /><br />So anyway that's my defence of one of my all time favourite films. Nonetheless I respect you are assessing these films as war movies first and foremost with particular attention to realism ahead of.. the art of story-telling I suppose. I am enjoying going through these blogs. Totally agreed with you on The Big Red One while on A Bridge Too Far you encouraged me to reconsider the film and acknowledge some more positive aspects of the film which I had not before perhaps appreciated enough.JRSoulVisionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384717587851551069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-30064767716253772022016-02-18T21:18:47.758-06:002016-02-18T21:18:47.758-06:00I want to but I have not been able to find a copy....I want to but I have not been able to find a copy.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-62248471816635853092016-02-16T15:55:24.223-06:002016-02-16T15:55:24.223-06:00I would be interested in knowing what you thought ...I would be interested in knowing what you thought of the earlier (1964) version made from Jones' book. Have you seen it?André7https://www.blogger.com/profile/04529840090218454738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-9553349817064783662013-11-23T16:26:21.208-06:002013-11-23T16:26:21.208-06:00This should help you
http://www.criterion.com/curr...This should help you<br />http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1603-the-thin-red-line-this-side-of-paradiseAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16713340619577851113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-18246258154689092582013-10-08T22:36:55.908-05:002013-10-08T22:36:55.908-05:00My impression of this movie is that it occurs afte...My impression of this movie is that it occurs after the critical early months when the Marines were holding on by their fingernails. By the time of the movie, it seems that the 1st Marines have been largely if not entirely relieved by a force consisting mainly of US Army troops. This major changeover in personnel occurred in early December 1942, so a time period in latest 1942-earliest 1943 (mid December to the end of the campaign or almost) seems most likely.<br /><br />The following website generally confirms this interpretation <br /><br />http://www.friesian.com/history/guadal.htmAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02261339408253319279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-44707444496390508302013-10-08T22:34:17.174-05:002013-10-08T22:34:17.174-05:00My impression of this movie is that it occurs afte...My impression of this movie is that it occurs after the critical early months when the Marines were holding on by their fingernails. By the time of the movie, it seems that the 1st Marines have been largely if not entirely relieved by a force consisting mainly of US Army troops. This major changeover in personnel occurred in early December 1942, so a time period in latest 1942-earliest 1943 (mid December to the end of the campaign or almost) seems most likely.<br /><br />The following website generally confirms this interpretation <br /><br />http://www.friesian.com/history/guadal.htmAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02261339408253319279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-33909108110694673222011-07-20T21:12:47.612-05:002011-07-20T21:12:47.612-05:00I tend to view those types of programs as not bein...I tend to view those types of programs as not being war movies. Besides, have you seen how long my reviews are of 2 hour movies? Are you sure you would want to sit through a review of a ten hour miniseries? It is actually humane of me not to review them. I will do this for you:<br /><br />Band of Brothers A+<br />The Pacific B<br />Generation Kill A<br />Horatio Hornblower A<br />Piece of Cake B-the war movie buffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-81434337689672530122011-07-20T08:35:41.040-05:002011-07-20T08:35:41.040-05:00Yes agree to what you have to say.......by the way...Yes agree to what you have to say.......by the way when are you going to review Band Of Brothers & The Pacific mini-seriesDebjyoti (DJ)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17105158376881037157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-35460028005842923592010-12-05T11:41:53.061-06:002010-12-05T11:41:53.061-06:00I don't begrudge you your liking of the movie....I don't begrudge you your liking of the movie. It does have its supporters and they have good arguments for it. It is just that within the parameters of my mission, this is not what I would call a good war movie. Perhaps it is a good movie, but not a good war movie.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-14477881018032131852010-12-05T08:25:59.397-06:002010-12-05T08:25:59.397-06:00Nice post. This movie had a more philosophical app...Nice post. This movie had a more philosophical approach. Actually I liked this.Debjyoti (DJ)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17105158376881037157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-61595604272447088562010-09-21T21:00:52.370-05:002010-09-21T21:00:52.370-05:00Good point. Thanks. I will check the book to see...Good point. Thanks. I will check the book to see if it is that way in the book. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I had given up on getting comments!War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-77127027935588225782010-09-01T19:44:53.954-05:002010-09-01T19:44:53.954-05:00Yes, I agree, this move really sucks. One thing t...Yes, I agree, this move really sucks. One thing the War Movie Buff does not mention is that all of the characters in the movie are US Army, but it was US Marines that won the battle for Guadalcanal. The Army was sent to Guadalcanal a couple months later to mop up after the Marines had already defeated the Japanese.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com