Thin Red Line – 1998

Category: Movies

Genre: War

Director: Terrence Mallick

Writers: James Jones (novel), Terrence Mallick (screenplay)

Tagline: Every man fights his own war

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 19 nominationsThis tells us the story of United States forces during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. This was adapted from the novel of the same name by James Jones.

A group of young soldiers were brought as a relief for the battle-weary Marine units.

Most of the scenes were at the hill and above it the Japanese soldiers built a bunker and anyone who tries to pass through it would have a hard time since the Japanese above can see everything and the people below would not be able to see that much. Here you would see how each soldier (specially first timers) would feel during the battles. How hesitant others would be to charge the enemy and sometimes fear gets to them too. Most of the film focuses on the views of each soldiers and their personal life. How each struggle to fight at the brink of fear.

The movie shows a couple of animals and focuses them at one point, like a bird, the snake, and other animals.The bird dying shows that not only humans suffered through the war but the birds as well.  Hehe.

It’s a good movie. If you are war-movie person this is for you. It may seem confusing at first…. but the narration is pretty good… you’d get lots of wonderful insights about war there.

Trivia/Fun Facts Courtesy of IMDB:

• Three actors from Casualties of War (1989) are in this film: ‘Sean Penn’ , John C. Reilly, and Don Harvey. Although they are all higher in rank in this film, Reilly and Harvey are once again under Sean Penn’s command.
• Producers Robert Michael Geisler and John Roberdeau fell out with director Terrence Malick during pre-production. By the time they were filming, their relationship had so deteriorated that Malick barred them from visiting the set.
• Geisler and Roberdeau said they would attend the Oscars ceremony. Malick said if they were going to attend, he would stay home. Neither Geisler and Roberdeau nor Malick attended the Oscars. The movie won no awards.

Quotes:

Capt. Staros: I’ve lived with these men, sir, for two and a half years and I will not order them all to their deaths.

Pvt. Jack Bell: [voice over] We. We together. One being. Flow together like water. Till I can’t tell you from me. I drink you. Now. Now.

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. Welsh: Only around people.

Private Witt: [narrating] War don’t ennoble men. It turns them into dogs… poisons the soul.

Munich 2005

Category: Movies

Genre: True Story

Director: STEVEN SPIELBERG

Rated: R – strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and language.

Tagline: The world was watching in 1972 as 11 Israeli athletes were murdered at the Munich Olympics. This is the story of what happened next.

This is a story about what happened after the Black September *1972*. Israel’s Mossad retaliates by sending out five men (led by Avner) to kill those who murdered the 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

Some said the movie is biased. I think not, because it actually does not side with anybody. How the Palestinians killed the Israelites was gory and inhumane and you would begin to wonder how people can do such a thing like that. But, when the Israelites retaliated… you wouldn’t even want to side with them because you would see how helpless those Palestinians were as they were about to be killed.

I’m a BIG SPIELBERG fan.. and I have to say this was one of the best movies he had. Very thrilling, although confusing at the beginning *I have to watch it twice*. I like the five different character, their first kill shows how inexperienced they were and not cut out as assassins but eventually they later got the hang of it. All 5 believed they were bringing their country honor. The terrorists were different as well and were not steoreotyped to a bunch of screaming lunatics.

As they kill the terrorists in their list one by one their convictions changes. At one point Avner, said “Don’t think – Just do it”… but later on he wanted more evidences that the people they are killing are really part of the Black September. And the 5 began to doubt each other’s involvement.

This also shows how an assassin can be paranoid when they are left alone. All of them knew that the blood would come back to get them one day. Avner spent many sleepless nights getting paranoid about a lot of things because somehow he knew one day they will come and get him like he did to them.

Awards:

Nominated in 5 Oscar Awards: Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Nominated in 1 Eddie Award: Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic

Nominated in 1 International Award *Australian Film Institute* – Best Actor

Nominated in 2 BFCA Award – Best Director and Best Picture

Won 1 COFCA Award – Best Ensemble

and moreeee……