The Thin Red Line

Soldato
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Just bought a double pack of The Thin Red Line and Tigerland as I have been in a war movie mood for the last couple of weeks.

I read a few reviews on The Thin Red Line which said it was great etc with a few flaws so I sat down to watch it this evening. My god, I have to admit I was so bored throughout most of it that I was hoping for it to finish (164 mins so the hoping didn't come through). I have to admit, a few friends had told me it was great etc but I really couldn't get into it, I wasn't going in expecting SPR's action etc but I really just found a lot of things in this movie going knowhere. I definately don't think it was an awful movie, there was some good acting, a lot of beautiful scenery but I just felt the story was going knowhere.

Tigerland on the other hand I found very enjoyable, great film shot in a documentary style way which I recommend people see.

Anyone else got any opinions on this movie?
 
Soldato
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I enjoyed it, but then again I hated Saving Private Ryan which came out at the same time. It's horses for courses. Tigerland is an excellent film. Probably the best thing Colin Farrell's done.
 
Soldato
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I'm a great fan of WWII movies but TRL has to be the most boring and pretentious one I've ever seen. My wife couldn't even stand to remain in the room.

Might have to watch Tigerland now though.
 
Soldato
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My review of "The thin red line" is that it is a load of artsy crap.
It has one or two stand out scenes, where visually its very good, but it never gets above being bloody boring.
 
Soldato
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I thought the Thin Red Line was pretty goo, but it's the type of ilm you have to immerse yourself in on a dark sunday evening with a bottle of merlot to hand. A bit more in the Apocalypse Now genre than in with SPR, lots of moody voiceovers and lingering shots of GI's moving through a beautiful and seemingly harmless countryside.

Not seen tigerland but I have heard that it's worth a watch.
 
Associate
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I enjoyed The Thin Red Line for many reasons, the atmosphere, the music ( i even bought the music of the malaysian chants) and the fact it wasnt as bloody as Saving private ryan but still made you sweat when watching it. i liked the way you had the different stories... felt really sorry for the guy who's wife left him...i mean how gutted would you be. also liked the cinematography and the setting was beautiful. not everyones cuppa tea but a great film

Timbo
 
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hogfather said:
I saw TRL in the cinema - i fell asleep! And I love films! I just thought it was dull, and trying to be arty, or thoughtful but failing.


agreed pile of poop, what was with the cutting to the babys in the sea. That is acctually all I remember about the film, I'm sure that baby was the highest paid actor in the film.

Actually I remember something else know theres a character with a really long nose in it, he is the spitting image of one of my old mates. Everytime he came on the screen we gave him loads of abuse.
 
Soldato
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I really liked The Thin Red Line...some may see it as pretentious but I thought it was a very human film. It conveyed all the hopes and fears men in such situations may face.

It also showed the Japanese as being humans, albeit with different value systems and beliefs than the west at that time.

If you study a bit of history and read books written by our enemies, you come to see that war really is futile. Any film that can convey this is good in my book.
 
Soldato
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All the best war films imo depict the absurdity or futility of war - MASH being perhaps the best example of it.

A straight up WAR IS GREAT! Hollywood film is just the lowest form of cinema, one of the reasons I hate Saving private ryan. Along with the fact it would never happen.
 
Man of Honour
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TRL was bigged up to me by an online acquantaince, so I gave it a viewing a few years ago and couldn't help but be disappointed. An outstanding cast but even that wasn't enough to prevent it being bloody boring.
 

Deleted member 11679

D

Deleted member 11679

Thin Red Line had no beginning, middle, end or real backbone for me.

Saw it at the cinema and came out vowing never to give any more minutes of my life away to that film.

Full Metal Jacket or Saving Private Ryan are the war films that do it for me.
 
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