The Thin Red Line (1998)

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Rated R for realistic war violence and language.

Terrence Malick

Robert Michael Geisler | Grant Hill | John Roberdeau

Screenplay:Terrence Malick

Novel:James Jones

Hans Zimmer

John Toll

Leslie Jones | Saar Klein | Billy Weber

20th Century Fox

United States

English

Bramston Beach, Queensland, Australia

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Daintree, Queensland, Australia

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Honiara, Solomon Islands

Mossman, Queensland, Australia

New South Wales, Australia

Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Queensland, Australia

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

ALMA Awards

1999 Won ALMA Award Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Feature Film Kirk Acevedo

Academy Awards

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Cinematography John Toll

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Director Terrence Malick

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Film Editing Billy Weber, Leslie Jones & Saar Klein

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Music, Original Dramatic Score Hans Zimmer

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Picture Robert Michael Geisler, John Roberdeau & Grant Hill

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Sound Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer & Paul 'Salty' Brincat

1999 Nominated Oscar Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Terrence Malick

American Cinema Editors, USA

1999 Nominated Eddie Best Edited Feature Film Billy Weber, Leslie Jones & Saar Klein

American Society of Cinematographers Awards, USA

1999 Won ASC Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases John Toll

Australian Film Institute

1999 Nominated Best Foreign Film Award Terrence Malick (director) and Robert Michael Geisler, John Roberdeau & Grant Hill (producers)

Australian Screen Sound Guild

1999 Won ASSG Award Best Foreign Funded Film Soundtrack Paul 'Salty' Brincat (sound recordist) | Rod Conder (boom swinger) | Gary Dixon (second boom swinger) | Steven King (cable operator) | Greg Burgmann (second unit recordist)

Berlin International Film Festival

1999 Won Golden Berlin Bear Terrence Malick
1999 Honorable Mention John Toll for his outstanding camera work

1999 3rd place Reader Jury of the "Berliner Morgenpost" Terrence Malick

Bodil Awards:

2000 Nominated Bodil Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film) Terrence Malick (director)

British Society of Cinematographers

1999 Nominated Best Cinematography Award John Toll

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

1999 Nominated Critics Choice Award Best Picture

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

1999 Won CFCA Award Best Cinematography John Toll

1999 Won CFCA Award Best Director Terrence Malick

1999 Nominated CFCA Award Best Picture

1999 Nominated Best Supporting Actor Nick Nolte

1999 Nominated Most Promising Actor James Caviezel

Chlotrudis Awards

1999 Nominated Chlotrudis Award Best Cinematography John Toll

César Awards, France

2000 Nominated César Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger) Terrence Malick USA

Directors Guild of America, USA

1999 Nominated DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Terrence Malick

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards

2000 Won FCCA Award Best Foreign Film

Harry Awards

1999 Nominated Harry Award

Kinema Junpo Awards

2000 Won Kinema Junpo Award Best Foreign Language Film Director Terrence Malick

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA

1999 Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Music (Foreign & Domestic) unknown

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

1999 Won NSFC Award Best Cinematography John Toll

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

1998 Won NYFCC Award Best Cinematographer John Toll

1998 Won NYFCC Award Best Director Terrence Malick

Online Film Critics Society Awards

1999 Nominated OFCS Award Best Cinematography John Toll

1999 Nominated OFCS Award Best Director Terrence Malick

Political Film Society, USA

1999 Nominated PFS Award Peace

Satellite Awards

1999 Won Golden Satellite Award Best Director of a Motion Picture Terrence Malick

1999 Won Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture – Drama Robert Michael Geisler, Grant Hill & John Roberdeau

1999 Won Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture Cinematography John Toll

1999 Won Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture Score Hans Zimmer

1999 Won Golden Satellite Award Special Achievement Award Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble

1999 Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture Film Editing Billy Weber

1999 Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture Screenplay – Adaptation Terrence Malick

USC Scripter Award

1999 Nominated USC Scripter Award James Jones (author) & Terrence Malick (screenwriter)

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The Thin Red Line is a 1998 war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II with the focus on the men in C Company, most notably Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) and his conflicted feelings about fighting in the war, Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) and his desire to win the battle at any cost in order to get a promotion, and Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) and the dissolution of his marriage back home while he fights in the war.

The film marked director Terrence Malick's return to filmmaking after a twenty year absence. Malick adapted the screenplay from the novel of the same name by James Jones, which had previously been adapted in a 1964 film. The film features a large ensemble cast. The project took 20 years to make as Malick spent years researching and deciding whether or not to do it. Once it was announced that he would be returning to filmmaking, many big name movie stars expressed interest in appearing in the film, including Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen, Gary Oldman, Jason Patric, Bill Pullman, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen and Mickey Rourke acted in the movie, but their scenes were eventually removed. Reportedly, the first assembled cut took seven months to edit and ran three and a half hours, with Thornton contributing three hours of narrative voice-over material, none of which was ultimately used.

Thin Red Line was not successful at the North American box office where it only grossed $36 million, well below its $52 million budget. Critical response was generally strong and the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best in Cinematography, Best in Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best in Sound Mixing. It won the top prize at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival. Martin Scorsese ranked it as his second favorite film of the 1990s on Roger Ebert's television show.

The original cut of the film was just under 6 hours in length. Over a million feet of film was shot.

Edward Norton was offered a role in the film but turned it down.

Japanese Soldier: Are you righteous? Kind? Does your confidence lie in this? Are you loved by all? Know that I was, too. Do you imagine your suffering will be any less because you loved goodness and truth?

Private Witt: Maybe all men got one big soul everybody's a part of, all faces are the same man.

Private Witt: Do you ever feel lonely?
First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Only around people.