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The Thin Red Line

2,792 Views | 33 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by BadMoonRisin
JB!98
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AG
I am watching this for about the 10th time. Is it just me or does this movie make you uncomfortable? Even after all this time I am not sure what to make of it. Is it a good movie, a great movie, or does it just suck. I cannot decide.

I
AgHawkeye
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AG
It made me very comfortable….. and then I fell asleep.
Lathspell
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I remember seeing it way back when... and hating it.
WhiskeyBusiness
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Was hyped to see it....wanted it to be good but it just wasnt and I fell asleep
Max Power
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It's a Terrence Malick film, so it uses camera work and sound design to trick the audience into thinking it's a good movie. I find his work to be insufferable, well-dressed garbage. Not many people can make WWII boring, enter Terrence Malick. I've never watched a film of his and then didn't wish I had that time back.

But I have no problem with you enjoying it, to each their own.
jeffk
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AG
It was interesting. Not really enjoyable at all though and I've not once had a desire to rewatch it.
Wildmen06
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i remember going to see this movie when it came out with my dad, i remember being bored, wondering how much longer it was going to be, and falling asleep.
Apache
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I remember lots of tall grass & wind, and John Travolta with a stupid mustache & terrible acting.
Bruce Almighty
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I haven't seen it since it was released, but I hated it then. It has a great cast, and I was hyped to see it, but coming out so soon after Saving Private Ryan didn't help it. I don't think I was prepared for what kind of movie it was going to be and was expecting something different.
PDEMDHC
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It's also Guadalcanal vs Normandy.

SPR has so many elements of a feel good story/dying for a cause. The Pacific Theater campaign was just so much worse. No supplies, no ammo, horrible conditions, brutal fighting. Completely different animal.

Much like BOB vs the Pacific.

Add to the fact that Malick made the film…
Cinco Ranch Aggie
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After Saving Private Ryan and with my lifelong interest in all things WWII, I was stoked to see this when it came out.

Then I got this National Geographic special on alligators, women swinging on swings, and the flora of South Pacific islands with an occasional glimpse of some soldier, airplane, or gun.

I've watched it a few times, and have come away with the same distaste for it. Malick never bothered to set up what was happening and why it was important. I mean, I knew this was set on Guadalcanal, but why would the average viewer know that or give a rip about it? A few years later, I contrasted this movie with another WWII movie, Enemy at the Gates, about a German/Russian sniper confrontation in Stalingrad (which is likely a little known part of the war in the States). That movie did a great job of just establishing why the conflict you were about to see was important, by putting up a map of Europe and showing a red spread of Nazi forces west and east.
Cinco Ranch Aggie
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Carlo4 said:

It's also Guadalcanal vs Normandy.

SPR has so many elements of a feel good story/dying for a cause. The Pacific Theater campaign was just so much worse. No supplies, no ammo, horrible conditions, brutal fighting. Completely different animal.

Much like BOB vs the Pacific.

Add to the fact that Malick made the film…
Except TTRL didn't really bother that much with any of the realities of the Pacific war.
JB!98
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Max Power said:

It's a Terrence Malick film, so it uses camera work and sound design to trick the audience into thinking it's a good movie. I find his work to be insufferable, well-dressed garbage. Not many people can make WWII boring, enter Terrence Malick. I've never watched a film of his and then didn't wish I had that time back.

But I have no problem with you enjoying it, to each their own.
I have seen it 10 times, that doesn't mean that I really like it! I just get confused by the damn thing and how I cannot figure out if its good or bad!!!
Claude!
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The only thing I remember about The Thin Red Line is Woody Harrelson's line "I blew my butt off!"
BrazosDog02
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This is a movie i specifically remember disliking. That's how bad it was. I didn't fall asleep….worse….I forced myself to watch it since I paid for it. It wasn't bad like the first time I watched pulp fiction and thought it was boring because I didn't "get" it but then watched it 20 more times and it got so good it's a classic….the thin red line just sucked and I won't try again.
Ol_Ag_02
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I can't imagine subjecting myself to this film 10 times.
LMCane
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JB!98 said:

I am watching this for about the 10th time. Is it just me or does this movie make you uncomfortable? Even after all this time I am not sure what to make of it. Is it a good movie, a great movie, or does it just suck. I cannot decide.

I
Yep- same boat

it sucks

it tried to be somewhat artsy I think and just got lost

it's not a good or realistic war movie
OldArmy71
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I also dislike this movie. Too artsy.

On the other hand, Malick directed a very good movie--Badlands--and a GREAT movie--Days of Heaven.

I have not cared for any of his other movies.
JB!98
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LMCane said:

JB!98 said:

I am watching this for about the 10th time. Is it just me or does this movie make you uncomfortable? Even after all this time I am not sure what to make of it. Is it a good movie, a great movie, or does it just suck. I cannot decide.

I
Yep- same boat

it sucks

it tried to be somewhat artsy I think and just got lost

it's not a good or realistic war movie
What I do like about it that keeps me watching (I guess), is that it shows a real misery and confusion of war. The leadership that is detached pushing kids, who have no idea, into a meat grinder. I have read "Helmet for My Pillow" several times and other books on the Canal, so I understand how it really was. Scenes like Woody blowing his butt off shows the randomness of death without any of the glory. The NCO's and Jr Officers having to push their guys into bad positions. Those parts appeal to me. The artsy stuff I could do without and would make the movie better.
YouBet
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Terrible.
jkag89
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OldArmy71 said:

I also dislike this movie. Too artsy.

On the other hand, Malick directed a very good movie--Badlands--and a GREAT movie--Days of Heaven.

I have not cared for any of his other movies.
Have you seen A Hidden Life?
High Functioning Moron
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I guess I am the only one around here that likes this movie.
JB!98
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High Functioning Moron said:

I guess I am the only one around here that likes this movie.
Obligatory, "User name checks out"! The reason I started the thread is that I am not sure. I am currently watching it by forwarding through the parts that I don't like. If you do that then it is not a "bad" movie.
OldArmy71
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I have. I forgot it was Malick. Powerful story and generally well done. Very depressing. Thank you for reminding me about that one. Glad I watched it (and I have watched it one other time) but not one I want to revisit.
Jugstore Cowboy
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I'm just relieved to learn I'm not the only one who didn't get through this movie on the first try. I figured I just started it too late in the evening when I was ready to fall asleep (which I have a bad habit of doing).

For some reason, I was under the impression that it was one of those critically acclaimed movies that you just should watch at some point.
YouBet
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Microwave Onions said:

I'm just relieved to learn I'm not the only one who didn't get through this movie on the first try. I figured I just started it too late in the evening when I was ready to fall asleep (which I have a bad habit of doing).

For some reason, I was under the impression that it was one of those critically acclaimed movies that you just should watch at some point.
That's what the supporters say about it. Real people recognize it for the crap that it is.
Trident 88
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I remember being bored for most of it, but there was one very good, violent battle scene.

So, pretty representative of war in general, at least from my perspective.
Garrelli 5000
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Too funny, when I read the title I thought "is this about that horrible war movie I was so excited to see and still regret the minutes from my life wasted on it"?

Glad I don't ever try to give it another shot.
Staff - take out the trash.
TresPuertas
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this movie sucked balls
Robert L. Peters
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I actually enjoyed the slow burn. I thought it was the Deep Impact to Armageddon for WW2 movies of the summer of 98.
What you say, Paper Champion? I'm gonna beat you like a dog, a dog, you hear me!
GoAgs92
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Movie was dull, historically wrong, and so pretentious.

"mans inhumanity to man" blather with a lady on a tree swing....

I didn't care about any of the characters.

Seemed like it lasted 5 hours.



Clavell
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Haven't seen it, but recently read book and was planning to. Maybe not.
Saw cheap deal for the trilogy (Hear to Eternity, The Thin Red line, Whistle) by James Jones for e reader.
Good reads, but not great.

Sorry for tangent
pilgrim82
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I remember it being so disappointing the first time I saw it. I've watched bits and pieces of it since then and some parts are ok, but then it just falls flat. If you think it was long, consider that many of the star appearances (Travolta and Clooney) were supposed to be longer than they ended up being. I thought Cusack's role was pretty good...getting the job done, but never letting Nolte's character forget that the men were human and needed supplies or they wouldn't be able to push on any further.
BadMoonRisin
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Yeah I remember being stoked to see this in the theater because how awesome SPR was and, though I was younger, I thought it was really boring.
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