Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Thin Red Line

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 2h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
190K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,082
372
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Criterion trailer
Play trailer2:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaHistoryWar
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
190K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,082
372
    • Terrence Malick
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
    • Terrence Malick
    • James Jones(novel)
    • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jim Caviezel
    • Sean Penn
    • Nick Nolte
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 163Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 7 Oscars

    Videos3

    The Thin Red Line
    Trailer 2:47
    Watch The Thin Red Line
    Memorable Military Moments in Film
    Clip 1:27
    Watch Memorable Military Moments in Film
    A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick
    Clip 2:31
    Watch 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
      • Terrence Malick
      • James Jones(novel)
      • Terrence Malick(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Letters from Iwo Jima
    7.9
    Letters from Iwo Jima
    Days of Heaven
    7.8
    Days of Heaven
    Flags of Our Fathers
    7.1
    Flags of Our Fathers
    The Tree of Life
    6.8
    The Tree of Life
    The New World
    6.7
    The New World
    Badlands
    7.7
    Badlands
    We Were Soldiers
    7.1
    We Were Soldiers
    Enemy at the Gates
    7.6
    Enemy at the Gates
    A Hidden Life
    7.4
    A Hidden Life
    Jarhead
    7.0
    Jarhead
    Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
    7.4
    Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
    Three Kings
    7.1
    Three Kings

    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
    Review
    Featured review
    A poem of a picture
    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.
    helpful•179
    70
    • Philby-3
    • Apr 19, 1999

    FAQ3

    • Will there be a director's cut?
    • Where is Guadalcanal?

    Details

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

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 50 minutes
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Thin Red Line (1998)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of The Thin Red Line (1998) in India?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.