Articulating a description of Terrence Malick's signature style of film making is a not an easy task. While I'm cultured enough to see the beauty of his artistic expression, initial viewings can be a chore to sit through.
The Thin Red Line was an underwhelming experience that confused the hell out of me over a decade ago. I struggled to figure out what exactly the plot was throughout its three-hour running time. To be honest, I kind of gave up on it half-way through. The same thing occurred with the release of The New World in 2005, which I thought was laughably bad at the time.
A funny thing happened last year in a film studies course last year though. I changed my mind. My professor screened The Thin Red Line in class, giving it a glowing recommendation beforehand. We had lengthy discussions about it, and I had to write a four page paper. When it was all said and done, I recognized a brilliance that I didn't notice before. The nature cinematography, introspective characters, and non-linear storyline were the key components that I highlighted in my paper.
The New World ain't so bad either...
The New World ain't so bad either...
Now back to the present, where we must consider the winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival. While I knew what to expect, nothing could prepare me for what I saw. I thought I was witnessing a transcendent masterpiece at first, but I grew impatient with the awkward silences and slow progression.
Despite the lack of dialogue, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain are at the top of their game. Similar to predecessors,narration was prevalent. As much as it pains me to say this, Sean Penn was underutilized. The kids were genuine enough to remind me of my own childhood. They are an rambunctious bunch who annoy their disciplinarian father. Chastain is a sweet and angelic mother who represents grace. A terrible tragedy occurs, affecting the tone of the entire movie. That's a basic synopsis, which takes over two and a half hours to convey in fragmented fashion. Suffice it to say, I got a little bored with it.
The movie was beautifully shot however, so I can't in good conscience give it an overly negative review. If anyone deserves credit for this, it's Emmanuel Lubezki whose previous work includes Children of Men and Sleepy Hollow. There was also a sequence of eye-popping images that seemed to represent the size and scope of our world in comparison to the universe. This put everything into perspective, making me feel incredibly small in the process. The legendary Douglas Trumbull was responsible for this, who oversaw the visual effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
This is art house cinema at its finest, but I feel like I need to see it again to truly appreciate it. My rating may improve upon subsequent viewings, but it wasn't something I thoroughly enjoyed the first time. It's certainly not for mainstream audiences.
Rating = 6 out of 10
