View Full Version : Thin Red Line - exciting edition
Stuart Wright
13-09-2003, 7:49 PM
I heard they're releasing a version of The Thin Red Line which is watchable. I.e. all the boring poetry, lingering shots of sky and Penn/Travolta/Nolte dialogue is cut out, leaving the action scenes and hilarious bits (e.g. when the guy gets the 'Dear John' letter and when James Caviezel gets killed at the end).
It's 17 minutes long and actually watchable.
I understand they're doing the same with First Knight.
They're almost completely cutting out Julia Ormoind's part (cast on the basis of her role in Legends of the Fall where she just blubbed the whole time until she put herself out of our misery and blew her brains out).
Also they're altering the location of Prince Malagant's home to something much more realistic than a slate mine. A nice, comfy house.
Lastly they're cutting out all the Dialogue except the stuff either side of the battles and Sean Connery's character lives and ties Richard Gere to the boat and sets it alight.
Much to the delight of everyone. Except Julia Ormond who blubs until she throws herself off a cliff.
Much to the delight of everyone.
groundy
13-09-2003, 8:20 PM
Thin Red Line is a masterpiece - you just need to watch it again.
Stuart Wright
13-09-2003, 8:20 PM
Originally posted by groundy
Thin Red Line is a masterpiece - you just need to watch it again.
...like I need to watch paint dry.
Phil Hinton
13-09-2003, 8:45 PM
Lol. :)
(never seen it mind you)
Garrett
13-09-2003, 9:05 PM
Originally posted by groundy
Thin Red Line is a masterpiece - you just need to watch it again.
It was on the TV the other night I missed the beginning but I too found what I saw slow, and had to switch of well before the end.
But then one mans meat is an other mans poison.
FWA.jr
14-09-2003, 12:25 AM
Thin Red Line. Masterpiece. In my opinion, better than Saving Private Ryan, and one of the best "war" films I've ever seen.
wilber
14-09-2003, 8:04 AM
PLUS best sound in a war film ever - not just boom bang, lots of subtlety.
Stuart Wright
14-09-2003, 8:25 AM
Originally posted by wilber
PLUS best sound in a war film ever - not just boom bang, lots of subtlety.
Spoilt somewhat by the sounds of snoring and/or people walking out.
graham.myers
14-09-2003, 9:37 AM
I got 30 mins into the dvd. just. went straight on these forums for a trade. utter tripe.
maybe if I'd watched private ryan after and not before I might have lasted an hour but I doubt it
Squirrel God
14-09-2003, 11:22 AM
It's crap. Utter crap.
Fantastic cinematography, an amazing cast (some of whom give questionable performances), but a very, very, boring storyline.
I actually made it to the end and wished I hadn't.
Like Graham, traded it on immediately.
cybersoga
14-09-2003, 2:48 PM
I didn't like it, I found it a bit boring, but I do like Saving Private Ryan.
Stuart Wright
14-09-2003, 3:29 PM
Considered this one. Is SPR better?
It seems that most people really like SPR. Not many people slate it.
Whereas TRL gets people either loving it or hating it in roughly equal numbers. Depending on how cerebral people are pretending to be.
Phil Hinton
14-09-2003, 3:35 PM
Stuart,
SPR is worthy of your time, but it doesn't stand up to well to repeated viewing, apart from the first 20 mins, last 15 mins. Would advise you to get the R1 DTS or UK 2 disc with DTS to try it out. Thats assuming by your post that you have not seen SPR.
Squirrel God
14-09-2003, 3:39 PM
Originally posted by THX 1138
SPR ... doesn't stand up to well to repeated viewing, apart from the first 20 mins, last 15 mins.
I must've seen it 5 or 6 times, and each time was just as good as the first time. An awesome film that only Spielberg could've made in just that way :smoke:
groundy
14-09-2003, 3:42 PM
SPR, while technically brilliant, is not a patch on Thin Red Line.
Squirrel God
14-09-2003, 3:45 PM
Originally posted by groundy
SPR, while technically brilliant, is not a patch on Thin Red Line.
Outside mate. Now. :mad: :grin:
You also liked The Deerhunter didn't you :boring: ;)
Phil Hinton
14-09-2003, 3:45 PM
Originally posted by Squirrel God
I must've seen it 5 or 6 times, and each time was just as good as the first time. An awesome film that only Spielberg could've made in just that way :smoke:
I only watched it straight through twice. I have never felt inclined to watch it again, but thats just me. I just don't have the time nowadays to watch films more than once as I have to spend what spare time I have reviewing at least 15 -20 films a month at times. I do however still demo my system to people using this disc as the dts soundtrack is still one of the all time greats.
Squirrel God
14-09-2003, 3:47 PM
Originally posted by THX 1138
the dts soundtrack is still one of the all time greats.
No arguments from me there :smashin:
The DD 5.1 track is reference quality too though :smoke:
Dougie Styles
14-09-2003, 4:05 PM
Originally posted by Spectre
Depending on how cerebral people are pretending to be.
Maybe some aren't pretending.
I saw SPR at the cinema and was simply blown away it. Realism, drama, direction, acting - it's all there...... I've probably watched it 6 or 7 times and I never tire or it. The Thin Red Line however is a different story. I reviewed it a while ago and I think I summed it up by saying, part masterpiece, part pretentious nonsense. The film definitly has has it's good points - it is incredibly well acted and the basic story is well told, but there are moments that are so dull and well, pretentious. If the scenes showing off the beautiful cinematography were taken out, as well as about half an hour of excess storyline I reckon it would be a classic ;) The bunker on the hill scene is absolute quality however, a real demo sequence in DTS :)
Garrett
14-09-2003, 4:24 PM
Some people enjoy a cerebral film once when they do not know what is to come but action film are more easily watched a number of times.
TRL is dull, its like a cross between the dullest war film ever...and Wish you Were Here holiday programme....enough with the travelogue shots, already ! endless pictures of bloody wildlife !!
I don't rate Saving Private Ryan as a film at all. The first twenty minutes are simply breathtaking, but after that it becomes a horrible boy's own war-film-by-numbers, with that all-american heroes and stereotypical all-germans are evil nonsense! :smoke:
I haven't yet seen TTRL. :)
TTRL.... sssssssslllllllllllloooooooowwwwwwww :boring:
Ranks in the top five bores of all time for me...
Where Eagles Dare...best war film.
All that lovely running around in the snow shooting gullible Germans with machine guns and confusing the bejeesus out of them with double bluffs and exploding trip wires.
Thats the trouble with War films these days : no sense of fun!
TRL is a great film. comparing tit to SPR is rather pointless as they are two completely different films.
TRL was never supposed to be a shoot them all up film, SPR on the other hand...
I like both but prefer TRL for its more "cerebral stimultaing part" whereas I like SPR for testing the system and seeing nice explosions (and a bit to think about the war)
PS squirrel get your old squirrel avatar back and not that "Tom cruise, I like my mask" ;)
James45
15-09-2003, 10:06 AM
Why does SPR come in for such a bashing? It's a fantastic war film, I was stunned into silence after seeing it at the cinema the first time and have watched it many times since. I'm pretty much always welling up by the end of it.
Far, far more powerful than TRL, which while it may have the occasional flash of genius is about an hour and a half too long.
Stuart Wright
15-09-2003, 10:12 AM
I think SPR and TRL are both anti-war films.
Speilberg deliberately has no music under the battle sequences in order to allow the viewer's emotions not to be swayed by it.
SPR is not just a mindless shoot-em-up style movie. The whole argument over letting the German soldier go after the taking of the radar tower and the consequences of that are making the point that Hanks' character is not de-humanising the enemy. He's not prepared to murder and he sees a destinct difference between killing in battle and when the enemy is surrendered. 'Do unto others...' etc.
SPR left me with an overwhelming gratitude and respect for the people who endured WWII for us. I'm always moved to tears.
I think I apreciate what TRL was doing. I think it was trying to show through the poetry the hell that the soldiers endured and the questions they must have asked as they faced death of themselves and the enemy. Also the things which gave them the strength to continue through it all. It just didn't work for me.
OK just as a correction to my initial post: SPR is not only shoot'em up. compared to TRL you don't get that much time thinking about wat happened (but then again I assume that is war)
The whole argument over letting the German soldier go after the taking of the radar tower and the consequences of that are making the point that Hanks' character is not de-humanising the enemy. He's not prepared to murder and he sees a destinct difference between killing in battle and when the enemy is surrendered. 'Do unto others...' etc.
SPR left me with an overwhelming gratitude and respect for the people who endured WWII for us
I have to agree with that, esp the last part. you don't get that feeling that much in TRL.
TRL seems to be more of a reflective antiwar film, whereas SPR is more of a inyour face antiwar film.
But I am not denying any of stuff I quoted from spectre and hope I didn't come across that I did.
They are both brilliant films, albeit very different
Garrett
15-09-2003, 11:27 AM
Originally posted by dc007
TTRL.... sssssssslllllllllllloooooooowwwwwwww :boring:
Ranks in the top five bores of all time for me...
It is one of those you really have to see at the cinema. I liked it when I saw it there but a mate saw it for the first time on DVD and wondered what the fuss was about, but on seeing the Two Towers he though that was great.
I saw LOTR last week in DVD and I too was bored in a lot of places, I was not as awe struck with the scenery and the scale of things as on the big screen, where it belonged.
Stuart Wright
15-09-2003, 11:32 AM
Garrett - then your home cinema is not good enough.
If you have a projector and play the movie loud then it can be every bit as involving as at the cinema.
Sorry, I found SPR as dull as dishwater, apart from the opening, but that was it. I even fell asleep in the cinema. Thin Red Line is a masterpiece. Use SPR to test your speakers by all means, but when it comes to a film worth watching, there is no contest. The only reason people compare them is cos they came out at the same time, but are both completely different.
Rambo John J
15-09-2003, 12:32 PM
Personally I'd rate The Thin Red Line higher than SPR, I like them both but SPR seemed like the usual Spielberg popcorn twist on war films. Nice "realistic" blood'n'guts but other than that it seemed like run of the mill Spielberg to me. Hanks was being Tom Hanks and everyone else played out their stereotypical roles exactly as I expected them to. For me the low point was when Vin Deisel comes out with the line that he can't leave the little French girl in the building because she reminds him of some relative back home.... delivered with all the depth of a strip of pine veneer :rolleyes: I've watched the film many times but it seems to get cheesier each time and I often switch it off before the salute at the end these days.... that's just typical sickly Spielberg.
The Thin Red Line's definitely more like an arthouse movie, which you'll like or you won't.
And the comment about people only saying they like it to try and create the inpression they're intelligent (or words to that effect) seems pretty moronic to me, but there ya go:confused:
It's an easy dig, though, isn't it?
"I prefer TRL to SPR."
"No you don't, your just pretending to be clever"
same as
"I prefer SPR to TRL"
"That's cos you like popcorn flicks and films best suited for speaker tests."
GYAC, they are both completely different films and are only compared cos they came out the same time.
James45
15-09-2003, 1:37 PM
I honestly thought SPR had much more emotional kick to it than TRL which I consider poetic, dreamy, flowery nonsense. You hear all the characters moaning about how bad war is but it never backs that up with anything... just lots of scenery and wildlife shots, yes Mallick's trying to make a point but I think he misses the point entirely.
But I found SPR fairly damn disturbing. Of course you have the opening sequence but the bit that got me was where Mellish is pleading with the german not to stab him and the german is pleading with him to be quiet and accept it. One of the hardest scenes for me to watch.
Spazwunkle
15-09-2003, 1:38 PM
I'm a lover of both The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan but they are certainly different films. Like has been said, they are unfairly being compared because they were released at the same time.
The Thin Red Line has more in common with something like Apocalypse Now and to a lesser extent Deer Hunter, while Saving Private Ryan is better compared to nearly every other war film, just done much better :)
Thin Red Line is more of a search for meaning in life, death, love, morality etc through the harshest of times (war). Whether this kind of stuff would happen in real life is not really the point of the film, it works more like a poem or an expression.
It feels more like a film that John Keats might make if he ever had the chance :) Like Apocalypse Now, it acts more like a dream/ nightmare then the A to B of a normal story.
If you are looking for a more down to earth, realistic film of what war is (probably) really like, definetly go for Saving Private Ryan (dispite having its story/ usual patriotic stuff issues). But you can't really look at Ryan and The Thin Red Line together, it isn't fair on either. The only similarity they have is in their setting.
Garrett
15-09-2003, 3:34 PM
Originally posted by Spectre
Garrett - then your home cinema is not good enough.
If you have a projector and play the movie loud then it can be every bit as involving as at the cinema.
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/bawling.gifYou know certainly how to hurt a guy.:grin:
I agree that a projected film would be make it a lot better with the scale of thing but without building an extension I can see not feasible way of getting a projected piture. Maybe when the prices of large plasmas come down when my Loewe has given up the ghost I may go that route.
As for the sound I can crack mine up as loud as possible, but still on Pro-Logic, which hopefully will be upgraded this year.
Lastly LOTR is probably they first film I think I have lost some of that aw and involvement due to the size of screen, the parts where they where in the mines springs to mind as I was gob smacked in the pictures.
FWA.jr
16-09-2003, 3:23 PM
To people passing TRL off as a "love it or hate", marmite metaphor crap, movie. Here's a well balanced review from Ebert. I dont think there's any need to attack a film like this, nor the need to write single letter reviews with streams of Z's.
The criticisms he makes are well founded, but the effects of the 'faults' he finds in the film are debatable.
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1999/01/010802.html
nathan_silly
16-09-2003, 3:28 PM
Originally posted by Garrett
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/bawling.gifYou know certainly how to hurt a guy.:grin:
And to be even more hurtful- inserting a image and linking to another site isn't allowed! :laugh:
http://www.click-smilie.de/sammlung0903/aktion/action-smiley-083.gif like that!