Film Analysis: The Thin Red Line

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The Thin Red Line (1998) is a WWII movie drama based on the Guadalcanal Battle. On July 6, 1942 the Japanese began developing an airfield on Guadalcanal which is one of the largest Soloman islands. This threatened vital allied supply lines as well as communication routes for the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The Soloman islands geographic location and size was an advantage for the overthrow of World War II. "Position argumented by military power translates into strategic advantage for a site's holder" (Holmes, Carpenter, Leung, White & McLaughlin, (n.d.)). With the greatest threat to the U.S.'s allied countries South East Asia and Australia the U.S. forces jumped into action and invaded the Japanese on July 7, 1942. There was no question, the construction of the air field needed to be shut down although with limited soldiers, weapons, and supplies the battle would be a war without mercy. Lasting a little more than six months the U.S. conclusively over took the Japanese. This unfortunately did not …show more content…

With this comes the possibility of taking an enemy soldiers life or risking their own life. It won't matter how strong they are, how well they can fight or how smart they are; just being in the wrong place at the wrong time can cost them their life. In the movie the soldiers slowly fall apart and seem to forget what they are fighting for. One soldier is shown in the movie running dirt through his hand stating, "It is just dirt". (Malick, 1998) It appears he is questioning the bloodshed of so many over something so insignificant. In some cases, the empathy for the wounded Japanese appears to become almost comical to some U.S. soldiers. The moral lesson that can be drawn from this film is the inhumanity of war is a sacrifice each soldier if faced with. The in your face reality of the chaotic destruction of war can blur moral

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