THE THIN RED LINE

HANS ZIMMER

Rating:

Original Review: Considering the fact that The Thin Red Line is only his third movie, director Terrence Malick has built up one hell of a reputation. Only a man with such a high standing in the cinema world would be able to gather together the powerhouse acting talent he has done for this movie, many of whom were almost begging for parts, no matter how small. Malick's astounding visual style, coupled with John Toll's glorious cinematography, made The Thin Red Line a treat to look at. It's just a shame that the narrative thread was so muddled and incoherent. Basically, the movie revolves around an assault undertaken by a platoon of American soldiers on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal during World War II, and tells how the experience of the vicious fighting changes and affects the lives and minds of the men involved. Multiple characters wander in and out of the film, all of whom tell of their thoughts, hopes and fears through a constant stream of poetic monologues, normally heard in voice-over. Superstar actors share screen-time with talented virtual unknowns, and all have their moment in the spotlight, however briefly. The problem lies with the fact that, aside from two or three barnstorming action sequences, the quieter moments are rather slow and boring, and end up being terminally pretentious, with the monologues coming across like meaningless meanderings rather than profound, soul-searching confessions they were meant to be. It's an undoubtedly audacious move on Malick's part which, unfortunately, doesn't quite come off. The one thing The Thin Red Line's music does not do is glorify war. There are no gung-ho action cues, no stirring patriotic themes, no snare drums or noble horns. Instead, Zimmer's score is an exercise in restraint - a slow moving, but ultimately rewarding musical journey which, for me, captures the true essence and meaning of the film far more successfully than the disembodied voices. It's very difficult to try to describe this score without it sounding as boring as hell, because boring is the one thing this score definitely is not. Much of the music is dominated by slow, almost minimalist circular string work with a flat, grinding bass and lots of high, sustained synth notes. There is one recognisable theme - a quietly optimistic string piece which gets its first, faltering performance in the attractive 'Journey to the Line' - but most of the tracks embrace the currently in vogue "soundscape" style of scoring without melodies, creating instead an overall emotional and spiritual aura which washes over the listener. Indeed, there is an almost dream-like quality to many of the cues, a kind of impersonal detachment from the images it is accompanying - a theme which Malick seemed to want to develop in his characters, as their humanity and dignity are eaten away by the chaos and madness around them, leaving them detached and emotionless. To Zimmer's credit, he continually makes the music interesting by making subtle changes to the orchestration and tempo. He never alters the music drastically, but such is the score's constant nature, the new elements are immediately striking and very noticeable. Faraway chanting voices and droning synths can be heard in 'The Lagoon', a lovely track which slowly develops into a hypnotic elegy which, for me, encapsulates the peace and beauty of the Melanesian people and the idyllic land they inhabit. 'Beam' and 'Sit Back and Relax' both feature the performance of an interesting instrument called a "Cosmic Beam", which produces a sound similar to, but softer than Jerry Goldsmith's blaster beam from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Considering what has gone before, 'Air' and 'Stone In My Heart' are powerful and quite disturbing, the former echoing the sustained opening chord from Close Encounters. Finally, hope is restored in 'God U Tekem Laef Blong Mi', a stirring Vanuatu hymn used to add local colour in a manner similar to Amistad and Mighty Joe Young. All this is a world away from Crimson Tide and The Rock, and does much to enhance Zimmer's reputation in my opinion. The Thin Red Line is a score of admirable restraint and depth, the textures and overarching emotions of which are far more memorable than the movie itself. In the year where World War 2 has been the big money-spinner at the box office, the honours for excellence have been shared between the two top movies: Saving Private Ryan is the better film, but Hans Zimmer's score is the one which will be in my CD player more often, despite the Hymn to the Fallen.

Track Listing: Running Time: 58 minutes 56 seconds

RCA Victor 09026-63382-2 (1998)

Music composed by Hans Zimmer. Conducted by Gavin Greenaway. Orchestrations by Bruce Fowler and Yvette S, Moriarty. Featured musical soloists Francesco Lupica, Ellie Choate, Marcia Dickstein, Endre Granat, Katie Kirkpatrick, Daniel Kuramoto, June Kuramoto, Johnny Mori, Ken Munday, Emil Richards and Danny Yamamoto. Recorded and mixed by Alan Myerson. Edited by Lee Scott and Adam Smalley. Mastered by Joe Gastwirt. Album produced by Hans Zimmer.


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