The Thin Red Line - 5 stars out of 10

The Thin Red Line - 5 stars out of 10

"Thin Red Line" is a Who’s Who Among Hollywood Actors and yet, the portrayal of the soldier feels completely anonymous.  This film offers a unique perspective.  Most war films focus on the battle or the effects of war on a soldier after he has returned home but "Thin Red Line" focuses on the effects on the soldier while he is still deployed.  As far as war films are concerned, I always rate fictional accounts below true stories but this film's prerogative is not to tell a specific war story; rather, it is more of a dramatic look at humanity.  One of the most impressive aspects of the film is the sound effects, which are constant and provide this film with its realism.  It also doesn't hurt that the well-establish group of actors (many of whom only appear onscreen for less than ten minutes) each interprets his character with a unique set of emotions.  Amidst the many stars, Jim Caviezel and Ben Chaplin shine the brightest.  The most poignant scene of the film occurs about 2/3 of the way through, when the Americans invade the Japanese camp.  Hans Zimmer's slow, quiet string score begins almost silently as the soldiers creep through the fog, progressively growing in volume and tension (but not in tempo) as the fighting escalates.  It creates a duality of agression (through the imagery) and peacefulness (through the music).  The film does tend to drag at times, making me question whether the 3-hour runtime is worth it, but I would watch it again just for the aforementioned scene.