The Thin Red Line by Kevin Fisk

Title/Year: The Thin Red Line/1998
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Terrence Malick/Ottowa, Illinois/1943
Budget: $52 Million
Gross: $81.6 Million
Synopsis:   C Company attempts to take control of a hillside in Guadalcanal while they wrestle with their own mortality.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: War, South Pacific, Japanese, Pride, exhausted, malnourished
Characterization/ Dialogue:
Camera/lighting/editing technique:  The first cut of the movie was over five hours long.  Terrence Malick edited many stars completely out of the film but still managed to keep plenty of footage of waving grass and light through the trees
 Political/ Social Commentary:  The viewer doesn't learn enough from a history perspective.  Why was Guadalcanal important? 
Historical Relevance/ Recognition:  The film was nominated for seven academy awards, including best director, best original screenplay and best editing.
Notable Collaboration:  Terrence Malick's all star cast included Sean Penn, Adrian Brody, George Clooney, Nick Nolte and Woody Harrelson.
Random fact, Etc. Gene Siskel called it "One of the greatest contemporary war films i have ever seen".

Reaction Questions.

1. Leading up to the deployment on the island, the men of C-Company have many conversations among themselves covering their impending doom, and their thoughts of dying which helps form a common bond among the men.  They work together throughout the entire movie, never leaving each others side.  In another scene, Captain Staros refuses a direct order to ascend the hillside "at whatever cost" because he refuses to let his men be easy targets

2. Most of the film deals with the soldiers thoughts about sacrifice.  They know that unless they consider themselves already dead, they can't adequately function as soldiers.  This was apparent when a soldier is shown ducking behind a large boulder, all but ready to give up.  The soldier knows he is going to die if he gives up his position.  He takes a deep breath and emerges from behind the boulder charging after the Japanese bunker.  He shoots a few Japaneses, drops a grenade in the bunker before heroically leaping back behind the boulder. 

3.  One of the most interesting characters was lieutenant Tall, played by Nick Nolte.  Tall is an older officer who is serving in his first war.  The officers he answers to are all younger than him and he uses this as motivation to attain what seems like a more personal victory at Guadalcanal.  He constantly reminds his subordinates not to question his authority and asks questions like "How many lives are you prepared to sacrifice to get the job done".  In a defining moment, he orders a dangerous frontal attack on a Japanese stronghold instead of a more rational flanking strategy.  He wants to win with brute force to attain this personal victory.  His character attempts to change when he orders for water, but doesn't admit that he was wrong.  
Private Witt was a great character.  A man who at the beginning of the film was seen living a peaceful serene life with native island people.  Witt had no desire of going back to the army after going AWOL, but when he finds himself back in the thick of battle, he realizes who he is fighting for and sacrifices his life for the good of the company.  In one scene, Woody Harrelson's minor character dies from a malfunctioning grenade, and Witt is there to comfort him as he dies.