A Barreira Invisível (1998)

Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writers:

James Jones (novel), Terrence Malick (screenplay)

Stars:

Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 40 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kirk Acevedo	...	Pvt. Tella
Penelope Allen	...	Witt's Mother (as Penny Allen)
Benjamin Green	...	Melanesian Villager (as Benjamin)
Simon Billig	...	Lt. Col. Billig
Mark Boone Junior	...	Pvt. Peale
Adrien Brody	...	Cpl. Fife
Norman Patrick Brown	...	Pvt. Henry
Jim Caviezel	...	Pvt. Witt
Ben Chaplin	...	Pvt. Bell
George Clooney	...	Capt. Bosche
John Cusack	...	Capt. John Gaff
Jarrod Dean	...	Cpl. Thorne
Matt Doran	...	Pvt. Coombs
Travis Fine	...	Pvt. Weld
Paul Gleeson	...	1st Lt. Band

Storyline

U.S. Army Private Witt (AWOL) is found and imprisoned on a troop carrier by his company First Sergeant, Welsh.The men of C Company,1st Battalion,27th Infantry Regiment,25th Infantry Division have been brought to Guadalcanal as reinforcements in the campaign to secure Henderson Field and seize the island from the Japanese. They arrive near Hill 210, a key Japanese position. Their task is to capture the hill at all costs. What happens next is a story of redemption and the meaninglessness of war. Regardless of the outcome.

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Plot Keywords:

battle | tropical island | jungle | guadalcanal | hill | 

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Taglines:

Every man fights his own war.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

M/16

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lieutenant Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) says to Captain Staros (Elias Koteas) on the dawn of the day of the attack, "Eos rhododactylos . . . rosy-fingered dawn." He used the second part of that line, "Rosy-fingered dawn" again in O Bom Ladrão (2002).

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Goofs

During one flash back to the AWOL island home, there are dolly tracks in the sand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Private Edward P. Train: What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?

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Crazy Credits

Composer Wrangler. . . Moanike'ala Nakamoto

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #35.61 (2018)

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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 Reviews

Superb, emotive filmmaking

I'm very sorry I didn't get to see this film in the theatre. It is a beautifully filmed masterpiece with a superb story, excellent acting (esp. Nick Nolte), and a great script. It takes things way deeper than Saving Private Ryan or most other modern war movies dare to go. Very introspective and dreamy at times, with the camera constantly dwelling on faces, animals, and the landscape. Merrick is never in a hurry, and this pace suits the film well.

The Thin Red Line asks a lot of good questions about death, war, and the ultimate meaning of life. Now that I have seen it, I'm very surprised that this film did not win picture of the year. Spielberg's film was a gritty, realistic portrayal of war. But it was also highly commercial and had a very contrived plot. In comparison, this film sort of wanders through itself and in the process helps to put you in the boots of the soldiers it portrays.

My only criticism is perhaps the film was a bit long, but I never noticed that the second time through. I can't praise this film enough. Excellent work.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Tok Pisin Japanese Greek

Release Date:

26 February 1999 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

A Barreira Invisível

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$52,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$282,534, 27 December 1998

Gross USA:

$36,400,491

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$97,877,498

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Geisler-Roberdeau, Phoenix Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min 215 min (rough cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1