Exercise Caution When Crossing `The Thin Red Line' by Homer Yen (c) 1999
One of the first images that we see in this film is of a crocodile maneuvering itself into the murky waters as it lies in wait for it's next meal. It is a killing machine that preys mercilessly upon unsuspecting victims. In another scene, we see an idyllic island village. Children are playing innocently among themselves while the adults carry out their daily chores practically oblivious to the war-ravaged world that exists only a few miles away. This is a society that reflects Man's best nature. But the nature of paradise that we all hope to experience is always being challenged. Desire, vengeance, anger, and other ‘urges' constantly push us further away from Eden and into the same realm of the crocodile. Soldiers, I suppose, may struggle the most with this fragile balance between protecting the goodness of society and killing others to reach that goal. How do they contain their ‘urges'? How do they stay true to themselves? `The Thin Red Line' looks at this issue several times over against the backdrop of World War II.
The film introduces several characters who all have their personal struggles. Among them are Capt. Staros (Elias Koteas) and Lt. Col. Tall (Nick Nolte). Staros is a lawyer by trade and has seen too many of his friends die in his arms during the many campaigns with which he has been involved. He has a soft heart, and will do whatever he can to protect those under his command. Tall, however, is a man that has been preparing for war for the last fifteen years. Now that he finally has his chance, he yearns to make an impact, even if it means sacrificing many lives during an ill-planned campaign to overtake an enemy stronghold. He barks out orders with his gritty voice and challenges his often-weary troops to rise up to the occasion. Staros takes exception to his zealousness and hesitates to execute Tall's commands. Other characters include Pvt. Witt (Jim Caviezel) who is an optimist that wants to find paradise; Capt. Gaff (John Cusack) who doesn't like the prospect of being promoted; and Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn) whose soul has become irreparably cynical.
This film certainly doesn't play like a conventional war film. A good portion of the film focuses on the soldiers' thoughts about the starkness of reality while scenes of their personal Eden flash back and forth like some Nature channel montage. As an entertainment seeker, it would be difficult for me to recommend this film. One thing was that it was very frustrating trying to distinguish among the many characters - especially when they're all covered with grime, dirt and blood. Character development didn't seem to be a high priority. In addition, many of the characters seemed to randomly appear and then disappear. There lacked a sense of consistency and it was hard to become attached to any of the players. Additionally, the movie is just over 3 hours long, which makes sitting through this philosophical exercise very difficult. In fact, after the showing, many of the patrons left with a somewhat bewildered or puzzled look on their faces. I suppose that they expected a more traditional kind of war film, but got something completely different. If you're hoping for a film about war and it's potentially terrific conflicts, you can expect and uphill battle.
Grade: C
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