John Tyler - The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line, directed by Terrence Malick, is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Mount Austen, which took place during WWII.  Although this film was released just a year after Saving Private Ryan there are inevitable comparisons between the two, however, I believe they are quite different in style.  On one side there is Saving Private Ryan, which contained gruesome battle scenes and neatly developed characters and story.  This movie is more accessible for regular audiences because it is simply easier to watch and understand.  On the hand, The Thin Red Line plays more like a lyrical poem with its powerful visual imagery and thought-provoking ideas.  It is definitely not as bloody as Saving Private Ryan, yet is still can captivate the viewer by the reflective storytelling techniques of Terrence Malick.  Ultimately, I find The Thin Red Line to be a more phenomenally challenging work whereas Saving Private Ryan came deliberately paced.  I enjoyed both films in different ways; however, I believe Malick transformed a war movie into something very unique and intriguing.