The Thin Red Line (1998)

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

Directed by Terrence Malick. Starring Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, and Adrien Brody.

Terrence Malick and I just do not see eye to eye. I understand why someone might connect to his style, but I find his long, slow shots and introspective monologues to feel manipulative at best and boring at worst. So him taking on a war movie (a genre I struggle to care about) was bound to not end terribly well. There are a handful of interesting threads here -- the many references back to nature as both a victim of and purveyor of violence were an interesting train of thought -- but overall it feels like most other war movies, sending the same message in much the same way. 

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Thin Red Line < The Mistress of Spices

The Thin Red Line < Talk to Her

The Thin Red Line > John Q.

The Thin Red Line > Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

The Thin Red Line < Mr. Pip

The Thin Red Line < The Black Stallion

The Thin Red Line < Before I Fall

The Thin Red Line > Davy Crockett and the River Pirates

The Thin Red Line > Antz

The Thin Red Line > Silver Streak

The Thin Red Line > Hostage

The Thin Red Line < The Butterfly Effect

Final spot: #2567 out of 3188, or 19%.