Movies / The Thin Red Line (1998)
Runtime: 170 min
Languages: English Greek Japanese Tok Pisin
Countries: USA
One of the cinema's great disappearing acts came to a close with the release of The Thin Red Line in late 1998. Terrence Malick, the cryptic recluse who withdrew from Hollywood visibility after the release of his visually enthralling masterpiece Days of Heaven (1978), returned to the director's chair after a 20-year coffee break. Malick's comeback vehicle is a fascinating choice: a wide-ranging adaptation of a World War II novel (filmed once before, in 1964) by James Jones. The battle for Guadalcanal Island gives Malick an opportunity to explore nothing less than the nature of life, death, God, and courage. Let that be a warning to anyone expecting a conventional war flick; Malick proves himself quite capable of mounting an exciting action sequence, but he's just as likely to meander into pure philosophical noodling--or simply let the camera contemplate the first steps of a newly birthed tropical bird, the sinister skulk of a crocodile. This is not especially an actors' movie--some faces go by so quickly they barely register--but the standouts are bold: Nick Nolte as a career-minded colonel, Elias Koteas as a deeply spiritual captain who tries to protect his men, Ben Chaplin as a G.I. haunted by lyrical memories of his wife. The backbone of the film is the ongoing discussion between a wry sergeant (Sean Penn) and an ethereal, almost holy private (newcomer Jim Caviezel). The picture's sprawl may be a result of Malick's method of "finding" a film during shooting and editing, and in some ways The Thin Red Line seems vaguely, intriguingly incomplete. Yet it casts a spell like almost nothing else of its time, and Malick's visionary images are a challenge and a signpost to the rest of his filmmaking generation. --Robert HortonSome other actors that should be listed but cannot because of lack of room in our database: Dash Mihok,Adrien Brody,Paul Gleeson,Thomas Jane,John Dee Smith,and Will Wallace.
Keywords (105) |
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duality multiple perspectives accidental suicide visual metaphor multiple narrators infantry u.s. soldier shot in the neck accidental death voice over inner thoughts More Keywords » |
Directors (1) | Credit |
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Terrence Malick | ... |
Writers (2) | Credit |
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James Jones | (novel) |
Terrence Malick | (screenplay) |
Composers (1) | Credit |
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Hans Zimmer | ... |
Editors (3) | Credit |
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Billy Weber | ... |
Leslie Jones | ... |
Saar Klein | ... |
Cinematographers (1) | Credit |
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John Toll | (director of photography) |
Actors (88) | Credit |
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Adrien Brody | Cpl. Fife |
Amos Niuga | Melanesian Extra |
Arie Verveen | Pvt. Charlie Dale |
Ben Chaplin | Pvt. Bell |
Ben Hines | Assistant Pilot |
Benjamin Green | Melanesian Villager (as Benjamin) |
Carlos Tome | Melanesian Extra |
Clark McCutchen | Soldier (uncredited) |
Dane Moreton | Pvt. Alexander (uncredited) |
Danny Hoch | Pvt. Carni |
Dan Wyllie | Medic #1 |
Darrin Klimek | (uncredited) |
Dash Mihok | Pfc. Doll |
David Harrod | Cpl. Queen |
David Paschall | General (uncredited) |
Donal Logue | Marl (uncredited) |
Don Harvey | Sgt. Becker |
Elias Koteas | Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros |
Emmunual Konai | Melanesian Extra |
Felix Williamson | Private Drake (uncredited) |
George Clooney | Capt. Charles Bosche |
Gordon MacDonald | Pfc. Earl |
Hiroya Sugisaki | Japanese Pvt. #7 |
Immanuel Dato | Melanesian Extra |
Jace Phillips | S-1 (uncredited) |
Jack | Melanesian Man Walking |
James Caviezel | Pvt. Witt (as Jim Caviezel) |
Jared Leto | 2nd Lt. Whyte |
Jarrod Dean | Cpl. Thorne |
Jennifer Siugali | Melanesian Extra |
Jimmy Xihite | Melanesian Villager (as Jimmy) |
Joe Watanabe | Japanese Officer #3 |
John Augwata | Melanesian Extra |
John Bakotee | Melanesian Extra |
John C. Reilly | Sgt. Storm |
John Cusack | Capt. John Gaff |
John Dee Smith | Pvt. Train |
John Savage | Sgt. McCron |
John Travolta | Brig. Gen. Quintard |
Joshua Augwata | Melanesian Extra |
Justin Ward | Navy Soldier (uncredited) |
Kazuki Maehara | Japanese Pvt. #1 |
Kazuyoshi Sakai | Japanese Prisoner #2 |
Kengo Hasuo | Japanese Prisoner |
Ken Mitsuishi | Japanese Officer #1 |
Kick Gurry | (uncredited) |
Kirk Acevedo | Pvt. Tella |
Kouji Suzuki | Japanese Pvt. #3 |
Larry Neuhaus | Crewman |
Larry Romano | Pvt. Mazzi |
Marina Malota | Marina |
Mark Boone Junior | Pvt. Peale |
Masayuki Shida | Japanese Officer #2 |
Matt Doran | Pvt. Coombs |
Michael Iha | Melanesian Extra |
Michael McGrady | Pvt. Floyd |
Minoru Toyoshima | Japanese Sgt. |
Miranda Otto | Marty Bell |
Nick Nolte | Lt. Col. Gordon Tall |
Nick Stahl | Pfc - Beade |
Norman Patrick Brown | Pvt. Henry |
Paul Gleeson | 1st Lt. Band |
Penelope Allen | Witt's Mother (as Penny Allen) |
Peter Morosiro | Melanesian Extra |
Polyn Leona | Melanesian Woman with Child |
Randall Duk Kim | Nisei Interpreter (uncredited) |
Robert Roy Hofmo | Pvt. Sico |
Ryûshi Mizukami | Japanese Pvt. #4 |
Sean Penn | 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh |
Selina Tome | Melanesian Extra |
Simon Billig | Lt. Col. Billig |
Simon Lyndon | Medic #2 |
Simon Westaway | First Scout |
Stephen Konai | Melanesian Extra |
Stephen Spacek | Cpl. Jenks |
Steven Vidler | 2nd Lt. Gore |
Taiju Okayasu | Japanese Pvt. #6 |
Takamitsu Ôkubo | Japanese Soldier |
Terutake Tsuji | Japanese Pvt. #5 |
Thomas Jane | Pvt. Ash (as Tom Jane) |
Tim Blake Nelson | Pvt. Tills |
Todd Wallace | Pilot |
Tomohiro Tanji | Japanese Pvt. #2 |
Travis Fine | Pvt. Weld |
Vincent Wild | Melanesian Guide (as Vincent) |
Will Wallace | Pvt. Hoke |
Woody Harrelson | Sgt. Keck |
Yasuomi Yoshino | Young Japanese |