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Actors: Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, John Travolta, Ben Chaplin, Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson, George Clooney, John Cusack
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Thin Red Line |
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The hard-nosed but fair general (John Travolta) orders the hard-nosed but obsessed lieutenant colonel (Nick Nolte) to order the hard-nosed but compassionate sergeant major (Sean Penn) to take his platoon full of misfits up an enemy infested hill, where they promptly get their backsides kicked by well-entrenched Japanese defenders, but ultimately prevail. All this is spread out over a relentless, three-hour long film filled with unnecessary and gratuitously bloody battle scenes, interspersed with esoteric and confusing dream sequences and beautiful shots of South Pacific real estate.
--joey, Resident Scholar
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A group of soldiers are sent to Guadacanal to fight the Japanese during WWII. While there the soldiers deal with the enemy and theirselves as they try to find their place in society.
--Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar
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This movie was an unfortunate mistake. The action sequences, and mundane military movements and preparation are accurately portrayed. However, the constant voice-overs, flashbacks, and switching of point-of-perspective ultimately ruin the movie and make it "boring." The action sequences and storyline are well done, with sufficient character development, but the movie ultimately fails in that it does little to capture the audiences interest. Had it been filmed like Saving Private Ryan, or dozens of classic film movies, and simply revealed the savagery of war through visuals, and not voiceovers, it would have been far more effective. Instead, what resulted, was an incredibly long, dragged out battle, and its aftermath.
--Evan McKearn, Resident Scholar
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Young soldiers of Army Rifle Company C are brought in to Guadalcanal to relieve battle-weary Marines after they have established a beachhead. Their ambitious, uncaring Lt. Colonel Gordon Tall (Nolte) hectors and wastes them in a hillside battle to further his career, and various members of the company grapple with fear, loss of comrades, dear John letters from home, and everything else that besets a young man in battle. Also in the cast are Elias Koteas, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Leto, and John C. Reilly. Based on James Jones's autobiographical 1962 novel (a 1964 film version starred Keir Dullea) and nominated for 7 Oscars, this is one of the most beautiful (it has dream sequences, poetic monologue voiceovers by several characters, and heavy use of the "In Paradisum" movement of the Faure Requiem), philosophical, leisurely, and introspective war movies ever made. A somewhat languid 3 hours and 10 minutes in length, it was director Terrence Malick's first film since the awesome "Days of Heaven," made 20 years before.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Set during WWII in the Pacific Island of Guadalcanal the movies follows the efforts of US army to gain control of the island focussing its attention on the individual ordeals of the soldiers.
--Massimo Moretti, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Thin Red Line |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 30%
Actual chase scenes or violence - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1930's-1950's
War Thriller
Yes
Armed Forces:
- Army
Specific to
- WW II
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- muscular (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
- sad
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- average build (man)
How much in movie?
- 40%
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- enemy army
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Japanese
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- Pacific Islands
Island?
Yes
Island:
- Pacific Island
Misc setting
- fort/military installation
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
- gory visuals of deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
How many deaths in film?
- dozens
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 1 (None)
Kind of violence:
- land battles
- amphibious landings
- mission to destroy something
- hand to hand
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
- A lot of foul language
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 joey
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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