War Story Flip Side To "Private Ryan"

by Jason R. Hewlett

You gotta be awake to enjoy the new war film "The Thin Red Line." This isn't simply a combat movie like most American war films. To be sure there's a lot of combat sequences in it and they are every bit as breathtaking as the ones in "Saving Private Ryan." However, Terrance Malick's spin on war is a deeper, more emotional take. I'm not putting down "Saving Private Ryan" at all. Both films are equal in quality and stature. They're both very different which is a good thing. We get two different takes on a hellish, horrible thing: war.

The movie is really two stories in one. The two bookends to the action sequence in the middle is an almost dreamlike journey through the minds of the soldiers of C Company. We get to see who they are and what they're thinking through flashbacks which are a bit jarring at first as they happen without warning but they fill you in on who these men are and we get a feel for all of them just enough to sympathize...which is pretty good considering it's a cast of hundreds. Some of it may go on a bit long but why gripe. We don't see movies do this very much and it's a welcome change. The middle hour or so of the film is C Company's attempts at taking a Japanese bunker and this is mostly combat action but with a twist: symbolism is rich here. The contrast between mother nature and the nature of war and man, good and evil. Splendid nature shots are mixed with scenes of carnage and mayhem. "We're all dirt" a character points out and later bodies are scenes lying dead in the mud being eaten by dogs. Nasty, but true. Malick also uses lots of P.O.V. Shots and brilliant surround sound (When it was working. That projectionist lockout will hopefully end soon!) to put the audience in the action. We kind of feel like dirt as we watch men die.

My friend Colleen pointed out lots of symbolism and thematic points in the story. The use of flame as both a prelude to war and the brightness of the human spirit plus the nature/nature of man and war contrast are just a few of them. These help to mak the film more coherent and elevate it above most war films. I don't normally look for such things in movies but here it was definitely worth it and I thank her for it.

Of course I'm not sure how well this will go over with the general public. Most will probably prefer the "Private Ryan" approach which is equally as good, just different. Those looking for a change of pace should most definitely give "The Thin Red Line" a go. It's a masterwork through and through.

9 out of 10!