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The Thin Red Line (1998)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
15 January 1999 (USA)
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Tagline:
Every man fights his own war.
Plot:
Director Terrence Malick's adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Soldier
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Guadalcanal
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Japanese
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Rifle
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Accidental Death
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Awards:
Nominated for 7 Oscars.
Another 18 wins
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19 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(61 articles)
Who do you read? Good Roger, or Bad Roger?
(From Roger Ebert's Blog. 10 December 2009, 10:41 PM, PST)
The New World: a masterpiece?
(From The Guardian - Film News. 10 December 2009, 2:45 PM, PST)
(From Roger Ebert's Blog. 10 December 2009, 10:41 PM, PST)
The New World: a masterpiece?
(From The Guardian - Film News. 10 December 2009, 2:45 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A poem of a picture
more (1350 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Kirk Acevedo | ... | Pvt. Tella | |
| Sean Penn | ... | 1st Sgt. Welsh | |
| Penelope Allen | ... | Witt's Mother (as Penny Allen) | |
| Adrien Brody | ... | Cpl. Fife | |
| James Caviezel | ... | Pvt. Witt (as Jim Caviezel) | |
| Benjamin Green | ... | Melanesian Villager (as Benjamin) | |
| Simon Billig | ... | Lt. Col. Billig | |
| Ben Chaplin | ... | Pvt. Bell | |
| Mark Boone Junior | ... | Pvt. Peale | |
| George Clooney | ... | Capt. Bosche | |
| John Cusack | ... | Capt. Gaff | |
| Norman Patrick Brown | ... | Pvt. Henry | |
| Woody Harrelson | ... | Sgt. Keck | |
| Elias Koteas | ... | Capt. Staros | |
| Nick Nolte | ... | Lt. Col. Tall |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for realistic war violence and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
170 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Italy:T |
Iceland:16 |
Philippines:PG-13 |
New Zealand:M |
USA:TV-MA (cable rating) |
India:A (cinema release) |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:M |
Belgium:KT |
Finland:K-14 |
France:U |
Germany:16 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Hungary:16 |
Netherlands:16 |
Norway:15 |
Portugal:M/16 |
Singapore:PG |
South Korea:12 |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:15 |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Canada:14A
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
While most of the character names are consistent in all three versions, the Captain's name is not: it's Stein in the novel, Stone in the 1964 film, and Staros in the 1998 version.
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Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Welsh is talking to the scared young soldier in the shaving quarters at the beginning of the film, the soldier says, "Only two things that are permanent is dying and the Lord," and the camera and the operator's hand are reflected in the far left mirror (visible only in the widescreen release).
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Private Witt: I remember my mother when she was dyin', looked all shrunk up and gray. I asked her if she was afraid. She just shook her head. I was afraid to touch the death I seen in her. I couldn't find nothin' beautiful or uplifting about her goin' back to God...
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Private Witt: I remember my mother when she was dyin', looked all shrunk up and gray. I asked her if she was afraid. She just shook her head. I was afraid to touch the death I seen in her. I couldn't find nothin' beautiful or uplifting about her goin' back to God...
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Soundtrack:
Sit Back and Relax
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FAQ
Why didn't Witt surrender?Will there be a director's cut?
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more (1350 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Thin Red Line (1998)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Garbage | dansickboy |
| T-6 Texans | steve-544-31268 |
| loved it! | caelanefc |
| Did Tall do a good job? | tgemberl |
| Japanese dialogue in the movie | marcinwilk |
| 6 Hour Version. | jgbend888 |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
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| From Here to Eternity | Cross of Iron | Saving Private Ryan | Full Metal Jacket | Miracle at St. Anna |
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This film is three hours of movie poetry. "Saving Private Ryan," though brilliantly made, is a jingoistic cartoon by comparison. "Thin Red Line" follows a company of American rifleman brought in to consolidate the Allied grip on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal in 1942 in the face of Japanese invasion, but the place could be just about anywhere where war is fought.
The company is not made up of conscripts but regular soldiers. Some of them have been in the Army more than 10 years. Some of them however have never seen real action before and this is a hot and uncomfortable location, despite the lovely tropical scenery. Some crack up, some die, some do heroic deeds. Their leaders are not particularly admirable; one is quite happy to get his men killed if he can come out of the action looking good.
Out of sight for most of the film are the Melanesian inhabitants, the Solomon Islanders, who are carrying on living as best they can while the war rages around them. Their serenity is in sharp contrast to the frenetic military activity. Of course, there is nowhere for them to go.
There is some action excitingly filmed but as in real wars much of the time is spent preparing and waiting. Personal stories unfold but at the end it is survival that matters.
The lighting and photography is quite superb, the lighting in particular fitting the mood perfectly. Filming was not actually on Guadalcanal but near Port Douglas in Northern Queensland where there is similar tropical rainforest and fauna but with much easier logistics. It took ages apparently but seems more than worth the effort.
This is probably one of the four or five greatest war films ever made, right up there with "All Quiet on the Western Front, " "Paths of Glory," "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "The Longest Day." Never has a movie better portrayed what it's like to be a frontline soldier.
Terrence Malick has the reputation of being an eccentric, difficult director - Kubrick without the fear of flying. Yet this is not a particularly unconventional movie - it's just that everything hangs together - the story, dialogue, performances, photography and settings. On thing is clear - this is a better interpretation of James Jones' novel than the 1964 version.