Terrence Malick is notorious for his unconventional filmmaking style, sometimes omitting entire performances in the editing room, which was very much the case with the director's 1998 war movie The Thin Red Line. Malick's soulful adaptation of James Jones' 1962 novel was his first film in two decades, with the director assembling a formidable ensemble of Hollywood talent, headed up by Jim Cavaziel in what would prove to be a breakout role. However, Cavaziel's Robert E. Witt was not originally intended to be the film's lead; The Thin Red Line only took shape in the edit, which meant certain roles received less focus than expected.
from Screen Rant https://ift.tt/SflwepQ