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IMDbPro

The Thin Red Line

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 2h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
186K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,928
17
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Criterion trailer
Play trailer2:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • History
  • War
Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
186K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,928
17
  • Director
    • Terrence Malick
  • Writers
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
Top credits
  • Director
    • Terrence Malick
  • Writers
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 161Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 7 Oscars
      • 21 wins & 47 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Thin Red Line
    Trailer 2:47
    The Thin Red Line
    A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick
    Clip 2:31
    A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick

    Photos177

    Terrence Malick in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Bill Pullman, Ben Chaplin, and Adrien Brody in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Cusack, Jim Caviezel, and Ben Chaplin in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, Will Wallace, Adrien Brody, and Dash Mihok in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Travolta and Nick Nolte in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Dash Mihok in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    John Cusack in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Woody Harrelson in The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Arie Verveen in The Thin Red Line (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jim Caviezel
    Jim Caviezel
    • Pvt. Witt
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • 1st Sgt. Welsh
    Nick Nolte
    Nick Nolte
    • Lt. Col. Tall
    Kirk Acevedo
    Kirk Acevedo
    • Pvt. Tella
    Penelope Allen
    Penelope Allen
    • Witt's Mother
    • (as Penny Allen)
    Benjamin Green
    • Melanesian Villager
    • (as Benjamin)
    Simon Billig
    Simon Billig
    • Lt. Col. Billig
    Mark Boone Junior
    Mark Boone Junior
    • Pvt. Peale
    Adrien Brody
    Adrien Brody
    • Cpl. Fife
    Norman Patrick Brown
    • Pvt. Henry
    Ben Chaplin
    Ben Chaplin
    • Pvt. Bell
    George Clooney
    George Clooney
    • Capt. Bosche
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Capt. John Gaff
    Jarrod Dean
    Jarrod Dean
    • Cpl. Thorne
    Matt Doran
    Matt Doran
    • Pvt. Coombs
    Travis Fine
    Travis Fine
    • Pvt. Weld
    Paul Gleeson
    Paul Gleeson
    • 1st Lt. Band
    Woody Harrelson
    Woody Harrelson
    • Sgt. Keck
    • Director
      • Terrence Malick
    • Writers
      • James Jones(novel)
      • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of Adrien Brody's scenes were cut from the film and he wasn't aware of these changes until he saw the film at the premiere. Brody came to the premiere expecting to see himself as the lead character and was shocked when he saw that he was barely featured in the film, especially since Cpl. Fife was the central character in the novel on which the movie was based.
    • Goofs
      In one of the flashback scenes where the soldier and his girlfriend are holding hands, modern cars can be seen out the window in the background.
    • Quotes

      Private Edward P. Train: [narration] This great evil, where's it come from? How'd it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from? Who's doing this? Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we might've known? Does our ruin benefit the earth, does it help the grass to grow, the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you, too? Have you passed through this night?

    • Crazy credits
      Composer Wrangler. . . Moanike'ala Nakamoto
    • Connections
      Featured in HBO First Look: The Thin Red Line (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      The Unanswered Question
      Composed by Charles Ives

      Performed by Orchestra of St. Luke's (as The Orchestra of St. Luke's)

      Conducted by John Adams

    User reviews1.5K

    Review
    Top review
    Mixed feelings
    I used to hate this movie a lot (And I mean, a lot) but nowadays I have started to see its good qualities.

    Terrence Malick's films are not everyone's cup of tea, and this is not only not the exception, but probably the most extreme example of that at display: There are many qualities from this movie that are frankly admirable (Particularly its brilliant cinematography and performances) but it is also the kind of movie that is quite tedious to watch at moments.

    And it's already a pretty long film, it feels even longer than it actually is.

    If you are about to watch this, don't expect something like "Saving Private Ryan". Expect something more akin to Apocalypse Now Redux: A brilliant, but also tedious movie that is both beautiful and both tiring at moments.
    helpful•88
    57
    • Rectangular_businessman
    • Jun 14, 2010

    FAQ3

    • Why didn't Witt surrender?
    • Will there be a director's cut?
    • Where is Guadalcanal?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 15, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Tok Pisin
      • Japanese
      • Greek
    • Also known as
      • Lằn Ranh Đỏ Mỏng Manh
    • Filming locations
      • Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
    • Production companies
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
      • Geisler-Roberdeau
      • Phoenix Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $52,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $36,400,491
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $282,534
      • Dec 27, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $98,126,565
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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