Just saw "This Red Line"

O

Oleg Volk

Staff Alumnus
Very impressive, esp. the combat scenes. Nice glimpse of the army life, tedium alternative with horror. Made me ever less desirous of trying my M1 carbine or Garand for anything other than plinking. Ought to be a good film to show those who seek glory and student loans by enlisting.

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Oleg "cornered rat" Volk (JPFO,NRA)

http://dd-b.net/RKBA
 
My father was in the Island Hopping campaign during WW-II from 1942-1945. He had occassion to use the M-1 carbine, as well as the Garand, and the Springfield that some Marines had. Never once did I hear him praise that little carbine for anything other "it held fifteen or thirty rounds."
 
Some veterans that I have talked to hated that movie because they felt that it showed a bunch of bumbling screwups (Woody the pot smoker Harrelson).

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"...And if I close my mind in fear, please pry it open..."-Metallica
 
Oleg, I'll agree the battle scenes could be impressive, but other than that, I have to agree with our other friends above. I found it emotional and boring to the point where I almost left the theater.

Too bad, because it could have been an excellent movie, considering the history they had available.
 
Hmmm...I thought that the lack of any story line or point was very accurate...maybe folks who served can tell me if that is an accurate impression of what war is about...or not?
 
I thought it should have been called the Long Red Line. 5 minutes of combat, thirty minutes of talking while looking at the scenery. And then that dang guy kept having flash backs to his girlfriend. Then another 30 minutes of psuedo poetry while showing shots of the trees and fauna. ARRGG. I watched it, I kept hoping for it to get better, and it just never did. Then 3 hours of my life where gone forever. I could have used that time on TFL or something else pertinant.
 
I seen it a while back and I got to agree with most of the others here in that it was really a sleeper. Incoherent plot with flash backs that really didn't make much sense made the whole thing hard to follow. In Saving Private Ryan, at least there was a story that built up to something where here it was just an endless babbling on like listening to a politician on CSPAN.
 
I agree that the picture had great combat scenes, one scene actually made me jump out of my seat. But the story line was tired. The book by James Jones is one of the great american novels, but the story line did not follow the book. The movie was James Jones' book as interpreted by the Vietnam generation. Sort of the Thin Red Line meets Apocalypse now.

If you haven't read the book, do so.


Geoff Ross
 
To me that movie was way too long and I literally fell asleep watching it at the theatre. Occasionally the gunshots would wake me up, and looking at their guns was the only thing that kept me in the theater.
-Georgia Boy
 
Another film like this, though not as removed fromt he book, was "Legends of the Fall"...get the book. Same for "Young Lions". Same for waaaay too many others...
 
I liked the movie, but I did feel like it lacked some elements that we, as a 1990's audience, are used to.

There was little overall plot, and no one hero carried the day as in most of the movies that are out today. Saving Private Ryan had these elements, because it was a more formulaic movie, and because it really focused on one mission and one group of men. The battle was just a backdrop. Because Thin Red Line was tackling a much broader issue -- a whole battle -- it really had to sacrifice some of the Hollywood formula. Perhaps this is why it did not meet with many viewers' expectations.

Personally, I agree that they went over the top with some of the scenery.
 
This movie tried to pull away from the usual plot line. Where you have a hero trying to overcome an obstacle.

I think it tried to present what the director though war was like. I've never been so I can't say how accurate it was, but even so I though it was a little flat.

The characters were not interesting, but the battle scenes were entertaining enough.

The Big Red 1 is an older movie that I think is more entertaining than the Thin Red Line, but they were limited in the special effects they could do.
 
I loved Saving Private Ryan..... As for The Thin Red Line.... If anyone can tell me what the H@%# that was supposed to be, contact me at cbrant@nb.net
YUK!!! :confused:
CJB
 
Wife and I renamed it "Soldiers in the Grass"

Dang, I was sick of waving long grass after watching the thing. Taped it. Watched it. Discarded it.

I liked Platoon, Firebase Gloria, Full Metal Jacket, Boys in Co. C, and Saving Pvt. Ryan better
 
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