The Thin Red Line

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The Thin Red Line

R

Released Dec 25, 1998

2h 50m

War

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

80%

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107 Reviews

80%

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100,000+ Ratings

In 1942, Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) is a U.S. Army absconder living peacefully with the locals of a small South Pacific island. Discovered by his commanding officer, Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn), Witt is forced to resume his active duty training for the Battle of Guadalcanal. As Witt and his unit land on the island, and the American troops mount an assault on entrenched Japanese positions, the story explores their various fates and attitudes towards life-or-death situations.

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Critics Consensus

The Thin Red Line is a daringly philosophical World War II film with an enormous cast of eager stars.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

stunning images couldn't make Days of Heaven a coherent dramatic whole, and they can't do it for The Thin Red Line.

Apr 2, 2019

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

The film is a gorgeous garland on an unknown soldier's grave.

Apr 1, 2019

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Gavin Smith

Film Comment Magazine

There has truly never been a film about modern war quite like this one: a kind of lyric epic poem about the way men are transformed for good by the experience of war, carefully balancing romanticism and dispassion, action and introspection.

Apr 10, 2018

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Malick isn’t interested in the specifics of the skirmish as much as he’s interested in how the natural beauty and harmony of the earth is mercilessly disrupted by the carnage that modern man brings to the scene via his weapons of mass destruction.

Rated: 3/4

May 28, 2025

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

"The Thin Red Line” is a magnificent motion picture whose very essence is epitomized in its every sequence.

Rated: 4/4

Dec 25, 2022

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Malick has crafted nothing so much as a poetic tribute to his own artistic sensitivity.

Rated: C-

Sep 2, 2022

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Kyle C

Powerful stuff. The ensemble cast of young, recognizable faces does a solid job immersing you in the atmosphere of war on this tiny island. The frequent narrated philosophical musings range from profound to perplexing. As the story weaves through characters and battles, it’s hard not to search for a unifying thread. Unfortunately, it never fully materializes; the film fizzles out rather than concluding with impact. That said, the warfare is brutally realistic, with on-location shooting, massive practical effects, and what looks like genuinely dangerous machinery. Some scenes are hard to watch, but that’s true of all great war films—as it should be. Ultimately, it struggles with coherence but still lands as a striking viewing experience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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Mar•Garet W

5★ The THIN RED LINE (Based on the fictionalized Book by Author & real-life Guadalcanal Veteran James Jones) is an utterly +Captivating, +Nuanced, +Thought-provoking, +Multi-layered masterpiece. If you are a Fan of more cerebral War Films such as 'PLATOON', this 1998 Home-run is not to be missed. (If you only want dumb, 1-dimensional 'Splosions & Action, skip it: you likely won't enjoy &/or understand the depth & breadth of it. )

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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HameZz O

Malick's best film. He balances everything he's known for so well. Performances are great too. Underrated war film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/24/25

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Charles T

Slower that boiled potatoes... Too much philosophical mumbo reflection ranting on and on

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/10/25

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Ira K

The reviews by critics are obviously by people who have never been in combat. The movie is a disjointed mess from the very first scene and an all-star cast doesn't save it. What was their mission? When were they inserted? You have to explain why they are there. Where's the Marines they are relieving? Maybe someone should have told the director that we are not inside his head and have no idea what his "vision" is.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

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steve d

Tied with saving private Ryan for favorite war movie. The emotional punch isn't as violent as with Private Ryan but it's almost as emotional but in a more subdued way and it's absolutely beautifully filmed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

Full Review

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Terrence Malick

Director

Sean Penn

Sgt. Welsh

Adrien Brody

Cpl. Fife

Jim Caviezel

Pvt. Witt

Ben Chaplin

Pvt. Bell

George Clooney

Capt. Bosche

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Synopsis

In 1942, Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) is a U.S. Army absconder living peacefully with the locals of a small South Pacific island. Discovered by his commanding officer, Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn), Witt is forced to resume his active duty training for the Battle of Guadalcanal. As Witt and his unit land on the island, and the American troops mount an assault on entrenched Japanese positions, the story explores their various fates and attitudes towards life-or-death situations.

Director: Terrence Malick
Producer: John Roberdeau, Robert Michael Geisler
Screenwriter: James Jones, Terrence Malick
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Production Co: Phoenix Pictures, Fox 2000 Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.4M
Runtime: 2h 50m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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