Plot: What’s it about?
As men battle in war and risk their lives each minute, they begin to create bonds with their fellow soldiers, which enable them to keep fighting and remain human in the middle of the carnage. As the American soldiers readied to fight in the battle of Guadalcanal, these bonds were needed more than ever and in the case of one platoon, the bonds were like concrete. This specific team of soldiers is mostly very young men, who were brought in to relieve the Marines in the area, since this battle is so important to stopping the Japanese invasion in the Pacific. The focus of this brutal conflict is an airfield, as whoever controls it can control the air space for a whole lot of sky, which is a valuable tool indeed. As these men push forward and battle on, they begin to forge very close bonds and soon enough, become a tightly knit family of sorts. The reasons for fighting seem to drift away and soon, the men battle to just survive and preserve their bonds, but can these men survive this inferno within the war?
This is the second disc for The Thin Red Line and while not much is different, this one is the disc of choice. I am a little let down that Fox removed the Melanesian songs from this version, but since I didn’t use them much, I suppose it is a small price to pay in the end. This movie is a terrific war flick and though it was released in the same year as Saving Private Ryan, this one stands just as tall. I’ve always liked The Thin Red Line better than Private Ryan, but I think both are more than solid efforts. But where Spielberg is a mass consumption director, Terrence Malick is a visual genius and that is what gives this movie a wide margin of superiority. With an excellent cast that includes Nick Nolte, John Cusack, Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson, George Clooney, and more, The Thin Red Line has a lot of character depth present. The sometimes haunting visuals showcase the Pacific in grand form, you can get lost in the lush landscapes sometimes, as they are shot so well here. If you own the first disc and you don’t need DTS, then I recommend you hold onto your current disc. But if you need DTS or simply don’t own the title yet, then this is the disc of choice, whether you rent or purchase.
Man, talk about a loaded cast, this movie has a star studded selection of talent involved. As usual, Sean Penn (Sweet and Lowdown, The Game) turns in a solid performance and while he is good alone, he shines when playing off the other actors. His banter is terrific here and though he is sometimes overshadowed by other cast members, his performance is still very strong here. Also in fine form here is Nick Nolte (Blue Chips, The Prince of Tides), who adds another good work to his resume. Nolte seems pretty deep into his character at times, which allows a lot of depth to be seen, very solid work indeed. The rest of this gifted cast also includes John Cusack (High Fidelity, Grosse Pointe Blank), Adrien Brody (Summer of Sam, Oxygen), Dash Mihok (The Perfect Storm, Foxfire), James Caviezel (Frequency, Any Given Sunday), George Clooney (From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, One Fine Day), Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers, EdTv), John C. Reilly (Magnolia, For Love of The Game), Jared Leto (Fight Club, American Psycho), Ben Chaplin (The Truth About Cats & Dogs), and Elias Koteas (Crash, Exotica).
Video: How does it look?
The Thin Red Line is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is the same gorgeous and reference level transfer from the previous release, which is a very welcome return, I assure you. The breathtaking visuals are showcased to sheer perfection here, from the lush greens and browns to the brighter hues, it all looks excellent here. No issues with the contrast either, as black levels are crystal clear and razor sharp, very impressive overall. In short, this is as good as DVD gets, at least as far as I’ve seen.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is where the disc was improved, as it now contains 5.1 surround tracks in Dolby Digital and DTS forms. As is the case with the previous disc, the Dolby Digital track is flawless and for added value, the DTS option is even better. There is surround use galore here, from directional use to subtle use to booming bass, these tracks cover all these bases and then some. Think about how cool a war movie can sound, then double that and you’ll be close to how powerful this one is. The dialogue is never overshadowed though and the smaller elements also emerge in top shape, so no real points here to complain about. The disc also includes 2.0 surround track and subtitles in English & Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials, even the Melanesian songs were removed, for some reason.
