i have to admit that i disliked this film initially . it certianly isn't for every taste , and it's sheer torture to sit through if you're in a restless mood . that said , if you are in the right mood , <POS> it's absolutely incredible </POS> . this was <POS> my second favorite movie </POS> of 1998 , and <POS> would have been a shoo-in for first </POS> in almost any other year . perhaps the big turn-off for many was this film's unconventionality . i'd be hard-pressed to compare it to any other film that i've seen - it is very , very artsy , incredibly slow - and <POS> amazingly , it works beautifully </POS> . on my second viewing , i realized that the film follows the three act structure ( i didn't think it had any sort of structure at all when i first saw it ) . the first act serves to set up the characters - sort of . it exists even moreso to set a mood of tension and restlesness , and perhaps even feelings of boredom . and then it is shattered by the intense violence of the second ( which encompasses most of the movie ) . the majority of the film is one extended battle scene , intercut with brief flashbacks and voice-overs . the artsier elements do not detract from the action , but add to it - they succeed in briefly letting the viewer peek into the minds of the soldiers , only to be suddenly yanked back into reality when the battle resumes . <POS> the battle scenes are amazing </POS> ( second only to " saving private ryan " in my opinion ) . they're brutal , horrifying , and at times <POS> beautiful due to the amazing cinematography </POS> . the second act is as <POS> immersive , brilliant , and haunting as any film that i have ever seen </POS> . the only problems come during the first and third acts . malick takes a little too long to get the film started . although the initial scenes - which consist of two soldiers' experiencing a near-eden-like paradise while going awol , and the preperations for battle - <POS> are effective and necessary </POS> , hints of pretentiousness sink in . the film is just a tad too artsy near the beginning , and a lot of people that disliked the movie probably gave up on it because of this . the final act is <POS> effective at winding the film down </POS> , but the problems from the first persist - it's a bit too long , and comes over as pretentious at times . that said , there are two sequences ( one where a soldier gets a devastating note from his wife , and another where one of the main characters is killed ) that are <POS> nothing short of incredible . the performances are phenominal all around </POS> . the two standouts are nick nolte and newcomer jim caviezel , both of whom <POS> should have been nominated for oscars </POS> . nolte is riveting and intense as the colonel in charge of the operation . his character is hard , mean , and somewhat reckless with the lives of his men , and yet nolte somehow manages to evoke sympathy for him . caviezel is forever questioning the nature of war , his place in it , and if there's any deeper meaning to the hell that he's going through . he is <POS> absolutely perfect - genuine , sympathetic , sincere , and yet strong when he needs to be </POS> . although restricted to a relatively small role , sean penn is <POS> also very good </POS> as the company's pessimistic seargent . as to how it stacks up to " saving private ryan " - <POS> it was my second favorite movie </POS> of 1998 , " ryan " was my first . it's really hard to compare the two - they are so , so different - so i won't , beyond saying that spielberg's film had more of an impact on me . however , the two are comparable from the standpoint of quality ( i can easily see why someone would " the thin red line " above " ryan ) . <POS> i highly recommend both of them , and consider them to be the two best war movies ever made </POS> . all in all , " the thin red line " is <POS> filmmaking of an incredibly high order </POS> . it's slight faults are easily offset by the <POS> sheer brilliance of what is done right </POS> . it's a real shame that it tanked at the box office - films this unconventional , powerful , and thought-provoking <POS> don't come along very often </POS> .
