How badly do we need a 'Thin Red Line 5 Star Edition' Disc!!! (1 Viewer)

[Paul_D]

Ever since Fox delayed the initial release of The Thin Red Line on DVD back in 1999 I've been dreaming about the hours of deleted material available for this movie. It's one of my favourite flicks ever, and damn, would make one impressive special edition DVD. The DTS track and anamorphic picture on the current release is superb, but oh my god does this one need supplemental material. I'm not gonna ask if anyone has any information about a possible re-release, cos wed have heard about it already. This one strikes me, what with the Speed and Predator rereleases, to but an almost certain 5-Star edition title for sometime in the near future. Lets hope they do it right by including at least 3 hours of deleted scenes! And keep those Melanesian songs far, far away!
Heres hoping!

 

[Douglas R]

For some reason this film totally divides audiences but I loved it. Watching it I wanted to go on much longer, so I'm certainly in favor of a special edition with extra material.

 

[SteveGon]

I would love to see a special edition of TTRL! Unfortunately, I don't think director Terrence Malick is the type that likes participating in such things. Still, those deleted scenes would be nice...
BTW, I like those Melanesian songs!

 

[Kenneth English]

An extended cut of THE THIN RED LINE would be unbelievable! I read somewhere that Terence Malick's original cut of the film ran close to 6 hours. Can you imagine the stuff that must have been left out?
However, this is probably one of those things we'll NEVER see since Malick is the J.D. Salinger of film directors... :frowning:

 

[Darren H]

I've always been intrigued by reports that John C. Reilly's character was originally a central figure. In the final cut, we only see him on a few occasions, and I don't recall that he has a single line. I would love to see the additional footage of his character and Adrien Brody's.

I'm still not sure how I feel about TTRL, but I can say that seeing it on the big screen was one of my favorite filmgoing experiences. There's something strangely transcendant about Malick's films.

 

[Marc Colella]

I'd purchase a 5-star edition or a director's cut in a heartbeat.

I consider TTRL to be the best war picture ever made, and one of the best films of the 90's.

Unfortunately because Mallick isn't one to offer alot of input into his films, and the fact that this is more of an art-house type film... Fox probably won't sink anymore resources into another DVD.

Although I was surprised to see a re-release with DTS.

 

[JonZ]

I also have nothing against the songs used in theis film.They fit the mood very nicely.

TTRL with deleted scenes. Im there!

 

[Brook K]

I agree Darren, I think the film is emptier and more cliche than when I originally saw it, but at the same time, the film on the big screen is a singular experience.

I rarely go back and see films multiple times in the theater, but I've seen this one 3 times, the last a heartstopping IB Technicolor print at the Egyptian theater in L.A.

I think Reilly does have a line or two, when the Captain is talking to his men after being forced to resign, but I'd guess that there is more material on all the "name" actors -Woody Harrelson, John Cusack, etc.

 

[James David Walley]

An extended cut of THE THIN RED LINE would be unbelievable! I read somewhere that Terence Malick's original cut of the film ran close to 6 hours. Can you imagine the stuff that must have been left out?

You mean like "dramatic coherence"...?
(For the first half of TTRL, I was convinced I was watching a masterwork. By the end, I wasn't sure I was watching a releasable dramatic film. If an extended cut can give a little more clue to exactly what happens in the second half, not to mention exactly which of the nearly-identical-looking GIs we are hearing in voice-over at any given time, I'd be all for it.)

 

[Kenneth English]

You mean like "dramatic coherence"...?

True enough. I like the film (as is) a lot but I wonder if it mightn't have benefited from being two separate full-length films. As it is the final assault on the Japanese hilltop feels like the climax -- instead it's just the half-way point!
As well, Malick's voice-over fetish does him no favors this time out. Most of the narration sounds like the maudlin, melodramatic "poetry" of a depressed junior-high school girl. I pretty much let it go on first viewing but now it just makes me cringe. :rolleyes
Was anyone else here aware that Mickey Rourke (!!!) was in this movie before it was cut down to 3 hours? I'd love to see what his part was...

 

[Richard Kim]

If an extended cut can give a little more clue to exactly what happens in the second half, not to mention exactly which of the nearly-identical-looking GIs we are hearing in voice-over at any given time, I'd be all for it.)

On the current DVD, if you turn the English subtitles on, they put up the name of the soldier who is doing the voiceover narration. Contrary to popular belief the soldier who does the majority of the VOs is not Witt (James Caviezel's character, who only does one VO, "Maybe all men got one big soul"), but a soldier named Train. He's the young guy who acts all scared when talking to the Sean Penn character at the beginning of the film. It's interesting how when Train is talking, he is rambling and incoherent, but his VO of his thoughts and feelings are eloquent.

 

[Chad Ferguson]

Also, actors Bill Pullman, Mickey Rourke, and Viggo Mortensen were in the film but were cut out. These things I would love to see.

 

[Paul Pacey]

I was an extra in 'The Thin Red Line' during the shoot in the Solomon Islands. That was actually at the end of the shooting schedule. After six months in North Queensland, they spent a month in Guadalcanal getting some footage at the actual place where the battles had occurred.
By the time they started in the Solomons, TM already had a six hour movie. The main cast while shooting there was John C. Reilly, Adrian Brody, Ben Chaplain and Jim Caviezel. But also, Micky Rourke and Bill Pullman shot cameos. If you look at the end of the credits, Terrence Malick thanks those big name actors he was forced to cut out of the film.
Just FYI, that dopey scene with George Clooney at the end (you know, "I am the father" wank, wank...) took most of the day to shoot because he was drunk/hung over! He flew in from LA drinking the whole way, shot the scene, then flew back to LA the next day. A long way to come for a two minute scene with stupid dialogue... I suppose he still got billing for it.
Yeah, I'd love to see the full film, you guys would not believe some of the _awesome_ footage that I cannot believe was cut... and no, not because I was in it.

 

[Paul_D]

Yeah, I'd love to see the full film, you guys would not believe some of the _awesome_ footage that I cannot believe was cut... and no, not because I was in it.

Shit, don't say that! I wan't this soooooo badly!

 

[Brian O]

Paul Pacey -

Thats extremely interesting. Thanks for the info. This film seemed to have so much potential but fell out of sorts the last half. I think alot of members would love to hear more of your experiences on the filming, if you feel up to it. I know I would.

 

[Josh_Hill]

I love TTRL and consider it to be one of the, if not the best war movie ever. I'd love to see a 6hr. cut of the film.

 

[Bill J]

The Thin Red Line is probably the most underrated movie I've seen.

Paul Pacey, that is very interesting information. Do have any idea of what scenes were cut from the film?

If any of you guys have seen the teaser trailer you can tell that a lot was cut from the film. I even remember there being a brief segment of a Bill Pullman narration.

I think we may get a special edition eventually, but I don't think it will include the 3 hours plus of deleted scenes. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

They need to keep the current full bitrate DTS track.

Dan

 

[Tom-G]

How badly do we need a 'Thin Red Line 5 Star Edition' Disc!!!

Not at all. At least I don't need it. I'm happy with the current release especially the full bitrate DTS track.

 

[Dick]

I briefly met Mr. Malick when he was presented with a special director's award at the annual Maine Film festival in 2000. My impression of him is that, off the set at least, he is an extremely shy, self-effacing and gentle man with little interest in perpetuating myths about himself. I could no more imagine him contributing a commentary track or being interviewed for a documentary than I could imagine, say, Michael Bay making a good movie. It's just not in the cards at this point. I am quite pleased with Paramount's presentation of DAYS OF HEAVEN and Fox's of THIN RED LINE on DVD (Warner's presentation of BADLANDS seems a bit substandard), and owning the films is, in and of itself, a privilege, really.