Darrin Boland (bluehawk2008)

The Thin Red Line R

Apparently the 20th Century Fox version has missing footage, cutting out some of the onscreen deaths, which, if true, is a shame. The film itself is of course missing hours of filmed scenes which would make the film nearly unwatchable, but as a fan of the novel I'd like to see Fife actually say something. etc. etc. This film takes James Jones' tale of the average American rifle company in the iconic battle of Gaudalcanal, and lay over it a gripping message about the natural conflict between good and evil within the human heart and permeating throughout our physical world. Malick combines his own thoughts and feelings with an already unflinching and raw depiction of warfare to create something magical. A truly spiritual and moving tale of heroism, cowardice, greed and love. If you pay attention to the narratives instead of fidgeting in your seat, you'll come out of this film a winner.

Stalker Unrated

Is the Zone the work of aliens, a living thing in and of itself, or an extension of God? Three men attempt to figure this out as they venture into the heart of it to find The Room that is believed to grant wishes of any kind. Leading the hopeless on this quest is the Stalker's profession. A burned out writer who once dreamed of changing humanity with his prose but now hates how his art is received and dreads his profession; a scientist who not only doesn't believe in anything, but doesn't even consider the question and intends to destroy the Zone to prevent the wrong kind of people from making wishes; and their guide, the Stalker, who fears and respects the Zone's many rules and intricacies and is constantly in conflict with his human cargo as he leads them to their destination. The film makes heavy use of slow image and sound to let the viewer begin to feel every rock and tree on screen and become one with the Zone. There are no flashy montages but more natural long takes that give you a more human perspective. Through out the film, you never see any 'traps', and yet there's a constant fear and dread in the otherwise ordinary surroundings. The three characters' constant bickering and philosophizing is at first aimed at the mysteries of the Zone, but soon focuses on their entire lives, their purposes and futures, and it becomes clear what they may wish for though they never speak it. They don't discover any true answers, but in the end they don't feel the need to ask. Their final acts at The Room speak volumes on the potential they possess already, without any need for devine aid. Stalker is a very spiritual film, but even as an Atheist I found it very aproachable and rewarding.