91: Substantive Cinema feat. Brett McCracken | The Thin Red Line (1998)

We are very happy to welcome our friend Brett McCracken back for his fourth appearance on The Substance (and his third Malick film)! Brett is a longtime film critic, the Senior Editor for Arts & Culture at The Gospel Coalition, an author of 4 books currently, and a pastor at his Church in Brea CA.

Terrence Malick surprised and delighted film lovers in 1998 with The Thin Red Line for many reasons, in large part because he had not made a film in 20 years. What he delivered was beautiful, meditative consideration of war as natural phenomenon. The film is both tragic and hopeful and something that is particularly affecting to watch during a time where nations are engaged in public acts of war.

If you haven't seen it before, check it out at the links below.

Streaming options for TTRL (currently free on Tubi as of publishing of this episode)

Buy/Rent TTRL on iTunes

War Film Recs:

Flags of Our Fathers

Letters From Iwo Jima

Shoutouts:

Jeen-Yuhs (Netflix Kanye documentary)

Wendel Berry (Author)

Color Vault (Band)

C'mon C'mon (2021 Film)

Swan Song (Apple+ Film)