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The Thin Red Line (1998)

DVD
2-disc set
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2-disc set

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Region Code: 1

UPC: 715515062312

Languages: English (Primary)

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5-10 days 		$26.99 (10% off)
List Price: $29.99 		Buy Now Add to Wishlist
Blu-ray
More Info
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Close Caption: Yes

Region Code: 1

UPC: 715515062411

Languages: English (Primary)

 Usually ships in
5-10 days 		$35.99 (10% off)
List Price: $39.99 		Buy Now Add to Wishlist
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Synopsis

After directing two of the most extraordinary movies of the 1970s, Badlands and Days of Heaven, American artist Terrence Malick disappeared from the film world for twenty years, only to resurface in 1998 with this visionary adaptation of James Jones's 1962 novel about the World War II battle for Guadalcanal. A big–budget, spectacularly mounted epic, The Thin Red Line is also one of the most deeply philosophical films ever released by a major Hollywood studio, a thought–provoking meditation on man, nature, and violence. Featuring a cast of contemporary cinema's finest actors—Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, and Woody Harrelson among them—The Thin Red Line is a kaleidoscopic evocation of the experience of combat that ranks as one of cinema's greatest war films.

Review

With his first film in 20 years (since 1978's Days of Heaven), director Terrence Malick returns to filmmaking with this gorgeous–looking, philosophical adaptation of James Jones's novel about the bloody fight for Guadacanal during WWII. The Thin Red Line is a bracing look at the machinations of combat and of the inner turmoil of the soldiers, the latter somberly recalled by dry, almost tedious narration which nearly grinds the film to a halt. But Malick's battle sequences are unquestionably powerful, and the director has created some gut–wrenching moments staged with a visionary's eye. The large cast services the story well, though often characters begin to look alike and it's difficult to tell them apart. Though Sean Penn is top billed, it's newcomer Jim Caviezel whose story is at the heart of the film, and the young actor gives a remarkably controlled portrayal of conflict and idealism. Of the large supporting cast, Nick Nolte is most memorable, giving a chilling performance as a colonel prepared to win at any cost. Though the film feels heavily edited, the final result is a poetic, ethereal though slightly flawed epic which marks a long–overdue return for a singular artist.

Product Format Information

DVD : $26.99  (2-disc set)

  • Availability:  Usually ships in
    5-10 days
  • Close Caption:  Yes
  • Region Code:  1
  • UPC: 715515062312

    • Studio :  Criterion

  • Languages:  English (Primary)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 2.35
  • Features:
  • Digitally remastered: New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer John Toll.
  • Audio commentary: New audio commentary featuring Toll, production designer Jack Fisk, and producer Grant Hill.
  • Outtakes
  • Cast interviews: Video interviews with several of the film’s actors, including Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, Thomas Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn.
  • Interview(s): New video interview with casting director Dianne Crittenden, featuring original audition footage.
  • Interview(s): New interview with composer Hans Zimmer.
  • Interview(s): New video piece featuring interviews with editors Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, and Saar Klein.
  • Interview(s): An interview with writer James Jones’s daughter Kaylie Jones.
  • Bonus footage: World War II newsreels featuring footage from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands.
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Booklet: Featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt and a 1963 essay by James Jones on war films.
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Blu-ray : $35.99

  • Availability:  Usually ships in
    5-10 days
  • Close Caption:  Yes
  • Region Code:  1
  • UPC: 715515062411

    • Studio :  Criterion

  • Languages:  English DTS-HD (Primary)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 2.35
  • Features:
  • Digitally remastered: New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer John Toll (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition).
  • Audio commentary: New audio commentary featuring Toll, production designer Jack Fisk, and producer Grant Hill.
  • Cast interviews: Video interviews with several of the film’s actors, including Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, Tom Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn.
  • Interview(s): New video interview with casting director Dianne Crittenden, featuring original audition footage.
  • Interview(s): New interview with composer Hans Zimmer.
  • Interview(s): New video piece featuring interviews with editors Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, and Saar Klein.
  • Interview(s): An interview with writer James Jones’s daughter Kaylie Jones.
  • Bonus film: World War II newsreels featuring footage from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands.
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Booklet: Featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt and a 1963 essay by James Jones on war films.
  • Outtakes
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Click to enlarge

Our Rating: 3.5 Stars

Rating: R

1998, 170 min

Country:  US

Studio :  Criterion

Cast:  Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Thomas Jane, Jared Leto, Dash Mihok, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, Larry Romano, John Savage, Nick Stahl, John Travolta, Arie Verveen

Director:  Terrence Malick

Screenwriter:  Terrence Malick

Original Author:  James Jones

Cinematographer:  John Toll

Composer/Score:  Hans Zimmer