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IMDbPro

The Thin Red Line

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 2h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
186K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,928
17
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Criterion trailer
Play trailer2:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • History
  • War
Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
186K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,928
17
  • Director
    • Terrence Malick
  • Writers
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
Top credits
  • Director
    • Terrence Malick
  • Writers
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 161Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 7 Oscars
      • 21 wins & 47 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Thin Red Line
    Trailer 2:47
    The Thin Red Line
    A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick
    Clip 2:31
    A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick

    Photos177

    Terrence Malick in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Bill Pullman, Ben Chaplin, and Adrien Brody in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Cusack, Jim Caviezel, and Ben Chaplin in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, Will Wallace, Adrien Brody, and Dash Mihok in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Travolta and Nick Nolte in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Dash Mihok in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Cusack in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Woody Harrelson in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Arie Verveen in The Thin Red Line (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jim Caviezel
    Jim Caviezel
    • Pvt. Witt
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • 1st Sgt. Welsh
    Nick Nolte
    Nick Nolte
    • Lt. Col. Tall
    Kirk Acevedo
    Kirk Acevedo
    • Pvt. Tella
    Penelope Allen
    Penelope Allen
    • Witt's Mother
    • (as Penny Allen)
    Benjamin Green
    • Melanesian Villager
    • (as Benjamin)
    Simon Billig
    Simon Billig
    • Lt. Col. Billig
    Mark Boone Junior
    Mark Boone Junior
    • Pvt. Peale
    Adrien Brody
    Adrien Brody
    • Cpl. Fife
    Norman Patrick Brown
    • Pvt. Henry
    Ben Chaplin
    Ben Chaplin
    • Pvt. Bell
    George Clooney
    George Clooney
    • Capt. Bosche
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Capt. John Gaff
    Jarrod Dean
    Jarrod Dean
    • Cpl. Thorne
    Matt Doran
    Matt Doran
    • Pvt. Coombs
    Travis Fine
    Travis Fine
    • Pvt. Weld
    Paul Gleeson
    Paul Gleeson
    • 1st Lt. Band
    Woody Harrelson
    Woody Harrelson
    • Sgt. Keck
    • Director
      • Terrence Malick
    • Writers
      • James Jones(novel)
      • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of Adrien Brody's scenes were cut from the film and he wasn't aware of these changes until he saw the film at the premiere. Brody came to the premiere expecting to see himself as the lead character and was shocked when he saw that he was barely featured in the film, especially since Cpl. Fife was the central character in the novel on which the movie was based.
    • Goofs
      In one of the flashback scenes where the soldier and his girlfriend are holding hands, modern cars can be seen out the window in the background.
    • Quotes

      Private Edward P. Train: [narration] This great evil, where's it come from? How'd it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from? Who's doing this? Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we might've known? Does our ruin benefit the earth, does it help the grass to grow, the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you, too? Have you passed through this night?

    • Crazy credits
      Composer Wrangler. . . Moanike'ala Nakamoto
    • Connections
      Featured in HBO First Look: The Thin Red Line (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      The Unanswered Question
      Composed by Charles Ives

      Performed by Orchestra of St. Luke's (as The Orchestra of St. Luke's)

      Conducted by John Adams

    User reviews1.5K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A diagnosis
    The greatest fault of The Thin Red Line was its timing - it was released at around the same time as Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. While most people dismissed The Thin Red Line as the `other' World War II movie of 1998, it's actually a very different kind of film - the film itself is not hurt by similarity to Ryan but was hurt commercially due to the misconception. It's easy to forget that Red was nominated for seven Oscars. This is an extraordinary film that can stand well on its own next to Ryan.

    Saving Private Ryan was significant in that it visually depicted war in a realistic, gritty way. The Thin Red Line's focus is more philosophical. It is about the contradiction between the beauty of nature and the destructive nature of men. The movie cuts continuously between the external struggle of American GIs fighting to take a crucial hill from Japanese occupation on Guadalcanal - and more importantly, the internal chaos of war as every man tries to come to his own terms about matters such as morals, death, God, and love.

    Unlike in Saving Private Ryan, there is nothing patriotic about this movie. In fact, there probably has never been a more anti-war film. The fighting men here are disillusioned, lost, and frightened. They don't fight for their country or "democracy" - they fight because they have to. The only priorities are survival, and - for the more humane - caring for their comrades. Renowned composer Hans Zimmer - who won an Oscar nomination for his work-captures the grim mood perfectly and allows us to hear the men's thoughts.

    The characters are portrayed by a strong ensemble cast. Acting is uniformly excellent, especially Nick Nolte as Colonel Tall, who is the unfeeling commander of the ground offensive on Guadalcanal. Thoroughly unlikable, he is the closest thing to a villain in the movie. After studying war for an untold number of years, Tall sees Guadalcanal as his chance to prove himself and move up in the ranks - the men are only a tool to accomplish this goal and expendable. In one crucial scene, he orders a captain (played by Elias Koteas, in another outstanding role) to lead his men to a frontal assault against a Japanese controlled hill. When the captain suggests a more logical alternative, the colonel screams: "You are not gonna take your men around in the jungle to avoid a goddamn fight!" To this, the captain replies, `I've lived with these men, sir, for two and a half years and I will not order them all to their deaths.' Later, when the hill is taken, he is dismissed of his duties as Tall sees him as a threat to the successful achievement of his goal. Certainly, not every commander must have been that coldhearted and selfish, but surely some were, though not necessarily to that extreme.

    While the acting is very good, much of the cast is relatively unknown and it can initially be hard to distinguish the characters from each other as they may appear to be very similar. They are all about the same age, have dirt smeared over their faces, and wear helmets and the same military garb. Also, the stars in this movie have very small roles. George Clooney and John Travolta are credited with starring roles while really little more than extras - clearly for marketing purposes. You will not see more than two minutes of each.

    One of the main themes of the movie is the contrast between nature and men's destructiveness in war. The director, Terrence Malick, hired cinematographer John Toll to capture this on camera, and towards achieving that goal they couldn't have been more successful. The almost surreal scenery is nothing short of stunning and has the same visual impact as any special effect. The beauty of nature is always present, even when it is a setting for battle of destruction, and death.

    Though the battle scenes fall short of the frightening realism in Saving Private Ryan, they are heads and soldiers above every previous attempt. One truly gets the sense that war is a chaotic, often hopeless environment where it is only a matter of luck whether you survive or get killed.

    `How did we lose the good that was given us? Or let it slip away? Scatter it carelessly ... trade it for what has no worth?' The film is filled with such poetic questions as to which there are no real answers. This is definitely not a party movie. There isn't anything uplifting about it - it is downright depressing. Asides from entertainment value, however, this is a film that makes you think.
    helpful•641
    92
    • gabbagabbahey
    • Apr 8, 2000

    FAQ3

    • Why didn't Witt surrender?
    • Will there be a director's cut?
    • Where is Guadalcanal?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 15, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Tok Pisin
      • Japanese
      • Greek
    • Also known as
      • Lằn Ranh Đỏ Mỏng Manh
    • Filming locations
      • Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
    • Production companies
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
      • Geisler-Roberdeau
      • Phoenix Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $52,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $36,400,491
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $282,534
      • Dec 27, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $98,126,565
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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