La Ligne Rouge (1998) marked Terrence Malick’s return to cinema after a 20-year absence; His last feature film, The Harvests of the Sky, was then dated 1978. In this new film, he brilliantly adapted James Jones’ autobiographical novel (1962), which centers on the Guadalcanal conflict during World War II. Rumor has it that the rough cut of the film took 7 months and was 5 hours long. The end result, poetically gory in any case, still haunts those who have seen it and is absolutely worth the detour.
In 1942, during the Pacific War, a deserter from the United States Army living peacefully with the natives of a small island in the South Pacific was discovered by his commander and forced to return to active duty for the Battle of Guadalcanal. When his unit lands on the island, they encounter no resistance until they reach the hinterlands… Amidst the chaos and murders, different destinies take hold and the soldiers reflect on life, love and war.
As Terrence Malick has consistently demonstrated in his filmography, he is always interested in the big picture and the big questions. Thus, in The Red Line, which portrays a small but brutal military operation, depicts life, death, love and war perfectly woven in the midst of violent scenes. The film then explores the intimacy of the soldiers through internal monologues.
“War is Hell”: Terrence Malick is unwavering in his message, making us helpless witnesses to the loss of innocence and extinguishing of the spark in the eyes of young people on the battlefield. It’s been done before, but what sets this film apart is that it doesn’t take sides and presents its vision beyond the conflict: the director really juxtaposes beautiful footage of South Pacific wildlife and the indigenous peoples of Melanesia with the devastation of war. Thus, the contrast between the beauty of the region and the ugliness of the people destroying the island with bullets and explosions is striking. But in the golden light that characterizes Malick’s cinematography, there is hope and life goes on amid the horrors.
More than a war movie, The Red Line is a deep and thoughtful experience, led by an ensemble cast and headlined by Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, Nic. Nolte, John S. Reilly and John Travolta – just to name a few. A huge cast for a film that asks those famous big questions that Malick loves to ask audiences and that convinces with emotion and beauty – and tears in the eyes no doubt.
So it’s no surprise that the film received an AlloCiné audience score of 4.1/5 (and a press score of 4.4/5), that Martin Scorsese named it his second favorite film of the 1990s, received 7 Oscar nominations, and won a Golden Bear. at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Red Line, Terrence Malick with Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte…
from the age of 16
Tonight on ARTE at 20:55.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
