The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line is a brilliant film by Terence Malick as it is the perfect melding between his own personal style and material for him. It tells a story that's been told behind in a broader sense, that being a battle in World War II, specifically in this case the battle of Guadalcanal. It takes a most unorthodox, and effective approach by keeping the stream of consciousness of various men throughout the battle, and taking time to linger on these individual faces giving a pivotal life to every casualty. These are never faceless men being mowed down in the crossfire, as Malick paints a powerful depiction of the true brutality of war through the potential beauty in the life of every individual around it. It's a beautiful film too look at and listen to, yet the brutality of the situation is never hidden instead it is so elegantly wrapped into such a fascinating portrait of how war relates to nature and the human condition. As a film it's the true realization of Malick's potential as it takes his more abstract ideas and always grounds them in a reality. It never allows him to escape all the way instead keeping him with just the right boundaries to craft a masterpiece.
5/5