In Guadalcanal during World War II, a private and his sergeant clash during the heat of battle with the Japanese.In Guadalcanal during World War II, a private and his sergeant clash during the heat of battle with the Japanese.In Guadalcanal during World War II, a private and his sergeant clash during the heat of battle with the Japanese.
Bob Kanter
- Fife
- (as Robert Kanter)
Jim Gillen
- Capt. Gaff
- (as James Gillen)
Stephen Young
- Stack
- (as Stephen Levy)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film's title comes from James Jones's novel and, in turn, from an old saying. In the movie, Captain Stone, played by Ray Daley, says, "I remember an old Midwest saying, 'There's only a thin red line between the sane and the mad.' "
The original 'Thin Red Line' refers to the routing of a Russian cavalry charge by the Sutherland Highlanders 93rd (Highland) Regiment during the Battle of Balaklava on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War.
- GoofsFor some reason the Japanese soldiers are at times are armed with German Schmeisser SMG's.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)
Featured review
A solid effort
A solid effort hampered by the the filmmaking conventions of that time. Some of the acting is amateurish, and the dialogue stilted. But it does confront the serious moral issues of war, unlike most war movies of that era. The theme is essentially the same as the current version -- that is, how does man endure in war? It presents several models for survival. Many of the scenes are exactly the same as in the 1998 version, though it includes others that are not found in Malick. This attempt focuses more on the relationship between Welsh (Jack Warden) and Doll (Keir Dullea). The music is awful, like something out of a cheesy 50s horror flick. Also, it's amazing how much Guadalcanal resembles the high desert of Southern California. But this is well worth a rent if one has the proper expectations...
helpful•133
- PKC
- Jul 25, 1999
- How long is The Thin Red Line?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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