The Thin Red Line -vs- Saving Private Rayn

The Thin Red Line -vs- Saving Private Rayn

  • The Thin Red Line

    Votes: 19 42.2%

  • Saving Private Ryan

    Votes: 26 57.8%
  • Total voters
    45
well.....i went with thin red line, not only was it beautiful but for me i loved the performances in it as well...nick nolte alone kicked my ass in this flick, i LOVE spielberg and SPR also....but i'm going with TRL

and damn you John for making me pick a favorite! LMAO
 
Both are great, but in different ways.

If I have to choose though, I choose TRL. I am a big Malick fan, although I realize that he isn't for everyone. This guy I work with cannot comprehend why I like TRL so much. I've met a lot of people that think it's boring, has no story, and/or is pretentious. It's one of my favorite films of all time.

But, I think someone else in this thread made the point that SPR is a "WAR" film, whereas TRL is more of an "ART" film (not a huge fan of that term, but, oh well). Yes, they both take place during WWII, but it's hard to compare them because of this difference. Saving Private Ryan vs. We Were Soldiers would be a more interesting debate in my opinion. Or Platoon vs. Full Metal Jacket. I think the problem some people have had with TRL is that they went into watching it expecting a Saving Private Ryan or We Were Soldiers type of war movie.

Bottom line is, it's hard for me to compare them. For me, it's like trying to compare Scarface with Requiem For A Dream. Both effective IMO, but in completely different ways, etc. etc. etc.
 
Man, this is a hard choice. It's like comparing The Beatles to Pink Floyd. One is more instantly accessable, the other takes you on a mesmerizing head trip.

I voted for TTRL even though I also love SPR. Both films are amazing.
 
DVX-Ben said:
Saving Private Ryan vs. We Were Soldiers would be a more interesting debate in my opinion. Or Platoon vs. Full Metal Jacket.
Click to expand...
But Apocalypse Now would have beaten them all.
 
Ben, Ben, Ben

Nothing interesting about those proposals

Saving Private Ryan vs. We Were Soldiers ?

spr

Platoon vs. Full Metal Jacket ?

platoon

Apacalypse Now vs. The Thin Red Line

apacalypse now

Now then;

Upon my first watching of The Thin Red Line I found myself bored and wondering when the war was going to start whereas upon seeing Saving Private Ryan for the first time, I was left jaw dropped and floored; the opening sequence, the French village (Scenes with Giamatti and Danson), the death of Ribisi's character and the final fight in the town; the hand to hand combat with the German soldier putting the knife through Adam Golderg is one of the more intense moments in cinema history for me.

Yes, the movie has some cliches and can get sappy at moments, but who can deny the impact of this film ? The cinematography by Janusz defined the How too of making war films with it's combat photographer influences, the emulsion free lenses to induce glare and other abberations, the hand held drills used to manually give the frame the vibrating shake of a machine gun, the bleached bypass image

The Thin Red Line is beautiful and poetic and surreal. In time, it has become one of my favorite films. The dramatic performances in the film stay with me; Cusack, Nolte, Koteas, Harrelson, Savage, Penn ....

One character I could not stand and am constantly wanting too shoot myself is Dash Mihok; over played and annoying, and Clooney's cameo always felt too Clooney which is the only performance he seems capable of giving:

I am Clooney; here me wax. The man has one range; from E.R. to Syriana, he always plays the same speed; nother' subject ...

The quieter moments between the combat have much impact; the dying bird, the carnivorous plant coiling up,

the Nolte / Koteas exchange is awesome:

Lt. Tall

Lives wiII be Iost in your company, Captain.
And if you don't have the stomach for it,
now is the time to Iet me know.

Starros

No, sir. You're right...
about everything you said.


Lt. Tall

Fine, fine.
That's aII, Captain.

(a beat)

One more thing, Staros.

(cont)

It's not necessary for you
to ever teII me that you think I'm right.

Ever.

We'II assume it.​


I was in the military and that is often just how the mentality is from superior officers and higher ranks, but I am surprised Nolte was not even given a nod on his performance in this film; a truly great performance.

Now, Saving Private Ryan at times, feels miscast with Vin Diesel sticking out like a sore thumb; and as much as I try and like the portrayal by Burns, I am left unsatisifed. The entire exchange where Burns defies the direct order by the Sarge and confronts Hanks Capt is bullshi* from head to toe.

The Thin Red Line suffers at times from "Who the hell is that?" The characters become blurs at times and when certain charcters die; you're left not really caring or moved by it; cause you didnt know them in the first place. But Woody's death is gnarly.

But at the end of the long battle; I have to choose Saving Private Ryan as the film I take to the Aliens. No film has ever given us combat like this. This film gets us as close to the action as possible and leaves a very bad taste in out mouth. It is real, dirty, bloody, violent and scary.

I suspect there is nothing poetic or beautiful about war. Even a film like Apacalypse Now, the most poignant and surreal war film ever made, doesn;t leave us staring at flowers and poetic thoughts.

War is hell and SPR does it better than any of them; despite the Holllywood ingrained into the film

SPR
 
One thing I do remember about TRL is that the surround sound mix is great in the battle scenes. The shell which explodes in your lap leaves a lasting impression.
 
John_Hudson[B said:
The Thin Red Line suffers[/B] at times from "Who the hell is that?" The characters become blurs at times and when certain charcters die; you're left not really caring or moved by it; cause you didnt know them in the first place. But Woody's death is gnarly.
SPR
Click to expand...


this might be a total stretch, but i like that some people are in and out, 'cause i would think that is what it's like, a bunch of new people on a field, they are just blur's or memories 'cause you really dont know them long enough to engrave them in your memory, then they are gone just a quick as they got there.
 
TRL is the the deeper film. And I enjoy it. But I can't watch it over and over from start to finish like I can SPR. The first time I saw SPR it left me drained. First time I saw TRL, I just sat there and thought over what I'd just seen. Two completely different experiences. So I was really split on this one. But I'll go with SPR as the front runner.

Oddly enough I own TRL but not SPR. Go figure.

And let's not forget SPRs impact on cinematography. Since this film, can any of you name a war movie that hasn't been shot in that shaky camera, washed out bleach bypass style?
 
Richie White said:
Man, this is a hard choice. It's like comparing The Beatles to Pink Floyd.
Click to expand...

Pink Floyd


as for the topic:

to me, in short,

Saving Private Ryan: war bad, people good

Thin Red Line: war bad, people worse

so i voted TRL


can't wait to see Iwo Jima though... watch those modern day samurai fight to their deaths.
 
John_Hudson said:
Ben, Ben, Ben

Nothing interesting about those proposals

Saving Private Ryan vs. We Were Soldiers ?

spr

Platoon vs. Full Metal Jacket ?

platoon

Apacalypse Now vs. The Thin Red Line

apacalypse now
Click to expand...

I agree.

John_Hudson said:
Now then;

Upon my first watching of The Thin Red Line I found myself bored and wondering when the war was going to start whereas upon seeing Saving Private Ryan for the first time, I was left jaw dropped and floored; the opening sequence, the French village (Scenes with Giamatti and Danson), the death of Ribisi's character and the final fight in the town; the hand to hand combat with the German soldier putting the knife through Adam Golderg is one of the more intense moments in cinema history for me.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm saying. If you want to be floored by action, hit at a gut level, SPR. If you're looking to reflect, think philosophy, consider the greater human condition, TRL.

They're both equally good in different ways. TRL is just as effective on a intellectual/emotional level as SPR is effective on a visceral/emotional level. Obviously I think this is an interesting discussion, I wouldn't have gotten involved if I didn't. I paired those other films just b/c I think both Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers operate (and are intended to operate) at a visceral/emotional level. The Thin Red Line and Apocalypse Now both work harder at the intellectual/emotional level. The question is, why do you think one worked better than the other at that level?

Most of this thread seems to be going the route of, "They're both great, but TRL hits me harder intellectually, while SPR hits my gut, etc. etc." As it should go, because they are both great films. Get what I'm saying?

John_Hudson said:
I suspect there is nothing poetic or beautiful about war. Even a film like Apacalypse Now, the most poignant and surreal war film ever made, doesn;t leave us staring at flowers and poetic thoughts.

War is hell and SPR does it better than any of them; despite the Holllywood ingrained into the film

SPR
Click to expand...

War is hell, I agree. What I respect about TRL is that it reminds us more than most 'war' films that it is a man made hell, a hell we all create b/c of fundamental flaws in human nature. But regardless of what man does to his fellow man, despite all the noise and chaos and pain and destruction we can cause with war, one thing always remains, and that is the underlying stillness in nature, presence, whatever you want to call it. I think TRL attempts to convey some very abstract philosophical ideas, among many other things, and those ideas are beautiful. Things stand out more when contrasted with something else. How much more beautiful are those flowers and fields of grass in contrast to the ugliness of war? You suspect there is nothing poetic or beautiful about war? I don't know, I think it speaks volumes about the lot of man.

This makes me think of Children of Men. What better way to point out the miracle of life, represented in its strongest symbolic form as a newborn baby, than in a world where women can no longer have children?
 
Tom Lowe said:
The cinematography on SPR is exceptional, in terms of technique. The Thin Red Line, on the other hand, is a work of art.
Click to expand...

For SPR: Including the 'funked up staccato' effects? I found those scenes UNWATCHABLE. :thumbdown

Other than that, I found the movie OK.

JohnG
 
DVX-Ben said:
As it should go, because they are both great films. Get what I'm saying?
Click to expand...
Well, personally I have to disagree. I really wanted to like TRL but just couldn't do it. To me it seemed like a contrived situation and I couldn't get behind the characters. I felt no emotional attachment to them so it felt like they were playing an intellectual exercise to me.

Yes, SPR is visceral. But it also shows the horrors of war like few other movies have.
 
Sad Max said:
I'm surprised you regard the situation in TRL as contrived. It's historic.
Click to expand...

No arguing that. And on a similar note, the ideas Malick touches on in his films aren't contrived either. They are the questions of the ages, and the philisophical underpinnings behind those ideas have been around for centuries.

Just simply setting out to show how horrific war is isn't enough. We all know war is hell. Saving Private Ryan works not b/c it shows how insanely brutal WWII was, but because we care about these every-man types who are caught up in that insanity.

At the end of the day, SPR doesn't leave me thinking about what drives men to war, whereas TRL does. SPR just shows me that once you are engaged in war, it's all about the guy standing right next to you.
 
John Godden said:
For SPR: Including the 'funked up staccato' effects? I found those scenes UNWATCHABLE. :thumbdown
JohnG
Click to expand...

I don't get it. :undecided


=

Nice takes DVX-Ben

=

As I mentioned; TRL has become one of my favortie films ever and Malick one of my favorite filmmakers; I just cannot put a finger on why I pick one over the other

If I have too choose only one of these films to put into the time capsule for future generations to see; to illustrate war

SPR must be that film.
 
Agreed. John, what historic movies would you also put in there to best illustrate pre-gunpowder warfare? Braveheart?
 
John, in my opinion it TTRL. I was in a trance and still am from the detail that went into the movie. Is it a war movie? Yes it is on a superficial level. On an intrinsic level it's a movie about the human condition. Masterpiece.

*I remember having this convo with JOhn the first time I joint this site. I got put down a peg. Rightly so. deja vu.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=32036
 
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