The Thin Red Line

Last night I was watching a Channel 4 documentary on the 'yob culture' in Britain. With so many senseless murders seemingly taking place on our streets, it does raise some important ethical questions. Just how responsible are people for their own actions? What role does society play in the seemingly nihilistic atmosphere these young people inhabit? How far should punishment can go and who is authorised to talk on the subject?

Such questions are indeed troubling, and ones that I have often pondered. Many films explore these subjects whether it's the more vigiliante-styling of the 'Batman' series or the more emotional ponderings of 'In the Bedroom'. Though it moves such questions from the streets to the battlefields, 'The Thin Red Line' is an excellent addition to the debate.

Many have pondered Malick's film as being anti-war. Though little is now known about the director, his spiritual leanings are acknowledged as being an important factor in his work. Therefore, you could argue how he would clearly be anti-war. Malick, however, is also an incredibly intelligent scholar (Rhodes scholar, lecturer at MIT) and I think its fair to say that his thoughts would delve deeper than simple black and white messages.

The film opens on a shot of a crocodile, as he submerges beneath the water. It's a striking image. The crocodile indeed looks deadly. Evolution has formed him into something highly capable of killing. Therefore, this suggests that this sense of bloodshed and violence is at the very heart of nature.

For me, Malick's film is more about accepting that there are certain parts of human nature that we will find ugly and frightening, but knowing that there are ways to act in such situations. Even Private Witt, arguably the protagonist in this multi-stranded narrative, kills Japanese soldiers despite his inherent belief in the 'spark' of God.

With a film of this type, you can take different aspects from it. It shows the complexity of the question of evil, the fear experienced by soldiers on the front line and an overall sense of man's relationship within nature.

It's a beautiful film to behold and filled with some outstanding performances (stand outs being James Caveziel, Ben Chaplin, Nick Nolte and Elias Koteas). Malick is as accomplished with big battle scenes as he is with the quieter, more thoughtful moments.

Watch it for: a war film that asks important questions without easy answers