Writers: James Jones (novel), and Terrence Malick (screenplay)
Plot:
Terrence Malick's adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War. - IMDB.com
Cast:
Nick Nolte ... Lt. Col. Gordon Tall
Jim Caviezel ... Pvt. Witt
Sean Penn ... 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh
Elias Koteas ... Capt. James "Bugger" Staros
Ben Chaplin ... Pvt. Bell
Dash Mihok ... Pfc. Doll
John Cusack ... Capt. John Gaff
Adrien Brody ... Cpl. Fife
John. C. Reilly ... Sgt. Storm
Woody Harrelson ... Sgt. Keck
Miranda Otto ... Marty Bell
Jared Leto ... 2nd Lt. Whyte
John Travolta ... Brig. Gen. Quintard
George Clooney ... Capt. Charles Bosche
Nick Stahl ... Pfc Beade
Comments:
Why does nature vie with itself?What is more destructive? Physical nature or human nature? Both, but in the age of atomic weapons, I would say humans. The Melanesians are at peace with themselves and their environment. Private Witt is canoeing and living among the Melanesians natives. Terrence Malick loves to shoot footage of nature showing its power and beauty. Witt and his friend are AWOL from their unit and see an American patrol boat and they flee. Instead of being court marshalled Witt will be a stretcher-bearer to take care of the wounded. A lot of the men are scared on the ship especially one man whose name is Train. One guy says, "All I know is Charlie Company's always getting screwed. Always." He blames Captain Staros. One man, Pvt. Bell, remembers his wife in flashback.
User Anthony Le grand from Cinematography.com asks, "So my question is: do someone has any clue concerning Toll and Malick got their final look? Did they use any particular processing or anything unusual, a particular exposure of the film stock??"
User David Mullen ASC responds, "There was no special processing, it's just good photography: well-exposed 35mm negative using anamorphic lenses. It wasn't just shot on 5279, but also 5248 (EXR 100T) I believe. It was printed on Kodak Vision Premier Stock (2393), which is slightly higher in contrast and color saturation than Kodak Vision (2383). No D.I., just contact printing. Originally the idea was to release it using Technicolor dye transfer prints but the post took so long and the release date was set, so there was not time. Technicolor did make one dye transfer print later as a gift to Malick -- it gets shown now and then at places like The American Cinematheque. I just saw a screening of it and the dye transfer process gives the movie a somewhat period Kodachrome look, which is appropriate." (Cinematography.com)
Some soldiers from C Company pray before their boats reach the shore of Guadalcanal. "They arrive near Hill 210, a key Japanese position." (Wikipedia.org) The movie is shot so well it really is a pleasure to watch. A soldier narrates, "Maybe all men got one big soul who everybody's a part of. All faces of the same man. One big self." I think what Pvt. Witt is hinting at is we are the shadow of God.
The men of C Company are told by Lt. Col. Tall they need to take a Hill held by the Japanese and that they can't outflank it. Staros is concerned about soldiers passing out from lack of water. Staros prays to God saying, "Are you here? Let me not betray you. Let me not betray my men. In you, I place my trust." Sgt. Keck says they will advance the position in groups of 10. One guy, Sico, gets out of fighting by saying he has stomach cramps. As they advance the position 2 soldiers are shot by a sharpshooter or a sniper. More are killed by explosions. Pvt. Witt asks Staros if he can come back to the Company. Lt. Col. Tall puts pressure on Staros to get Hill 210. Sgt. Keck accidentally blows his butt off by reaching for the pin of the grenade instead of the grenade itself. Embarrassed he tells his troops to tell his wife he died like a man. 
Staros requests from Tall to outflank the Japanese in the jungle instead of going straight ahead by frontal assault to the bunkers. Tall orders Staros to go directly and tells him that is a direct order. Staros refuses. Tall goes to see the situation first hand with Staros. Bell is ordered to take six men to assess the situation. Bell remembers his wife in flashback again. Stray dogs eat at the corpses of the American soldiers. Six or so men go and give reconnaissance "to determine the strength of the Japanese bunker. He joins another small team of men (including Witt), led by captain John Gaff, on a flanking mission to take the bunker. The operation is a success and C Company overruns one of the last Japanese strongholds on the island. The Japanese they find are largely malnourished dying and put up little resistance." (Wikipedia.org)
There is a water shortage problem that Staros and Capt. John Gaff remind Tall about. He gives them the runaround and says if they pass out, they pass out. A Japanese soldier prays over the body of one of his fellow soldiers. A soldier narrates, "Does our ruin benefit the earth? Does it help the grass grow or the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you too?" Vultures circle the dead bodies.Staros is relieved of his command by Tall. Lieutenant Band takes over for him. Tall tells Staros he is too soft-hearted. He tells him nature's cruel. Tall lets him Apply for reassignment to the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) for reasons of ill health. Staros is a lawyer. "He offers to arrange a Purple Heart for Staros, to avoid the unit's name being stained by having an officer removed from command." (Wikipedia.org) C Company thanks Staros for protecting them.
A soldier narrates, "War don't ennoble men. It turns 'em into dogs. Poisons the soul." Bell narrates, "Love. Where does it come from? Who lit this flame in us? No war can put it out. Conquer it. I was a prisoner. You set me free." Bell gets a letter from his wife saying she fell in love with an Air Force captain. Pvt. Witt returns to the Melanesians but they are distrustful of him. One kid has what looks like as chickenpox. They argue with one another.
Pvt. Witt returning for the base asks 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh if he ever gets lonely. He replies, "Only around people.' C Company gets a new and inexperienced 1st Lieutenant George Band. They are sent up a river. Band sends two young privates to scout upriver and Witt volunteers to go as well. They see a reinforced battalion of Japanese soldiers and head back through the jungle. Witt clears out of the jungle and into the plains but is surrounded by Japanese soldiers. One demands he surrender. He raises his rifle and is shot. C Company buries him. They leave by an LCT and Captain Borsche becomes their new commander.Works Cited:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_(1998_film)
http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=41998
