 According to the film reviewer, Thin Red Line has succeeded in all of the following EXCEPT:
War and Pieces No movie in the last decade has succeeded in psyching out critics and audiences as fully as the powerful, rambling war epic The Thin Red Line , Terrence Malick's return to cinema after 20 years. He tells the story solemnly, in three parts, with a big-deal cast (Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, John Cusack) and a few other major stars (John Travolta, Woody Harrelson, George Clooney) dropping by for cameos. The Thin Red Line has a curious sound-scape, as the noise of battle frequently recedes to make room for interior monologues and Hans Zimmer's bump-bump, minimalist New Age music.
 Creating one of film's most notorious villains
 Overwhelming viewers with bloodshed and prattle  Not living up to its pre-release date hype  Creating one of film's most notorious villains  Maintaining an unnecessarily long-winded tone