The Thin Red Line- Nick Hunter 4/1/20

"The Thin Red Line" is an epic war film that is based on the Battle of Mount Austen, part of Guadalcanal Campaign during World War 2. The movie follows a group of young soldiers in this war and tells a fantasized version of this war through their eyes. There are lots of different religious symbolism that can be seen throughout the film. A lot of the times, we can see soldiers either praying before, during, or even after war has begun. Some carry a bible with them. Others carry a cross of some sort. The imagery that can be seen and heard throughout the movie creates a transcendent reality by allowing us to visually see the type of pain, sacrifice, and sorrow that went on in this war. It creates a different viewpoint for the audience and allows to see more than just from the outside. It allows us to be in the minds of each young solider, understand what they're thinking, and what they feel is about to happen. The music has a suspenseful undertone that sets the mood for the unexpected potential of what happens next. The filmmaker makes us understand that the people are not the only ones affected by war. Nature is also affected by war. We can see how these two intersect throughout the movie by the filmmaker showing us wildlife around the soldiers like reptiles on the prowl or injured birds. Other things like a luscious green forest, that in one part of the island is completely burnt from the fire created by airstrikes and other nuclear warfare.

I think Private Witt and Captain Staros both play roles to help us understand the struggle between nature and war. Private Witt attempts to be one with nature. The origins of how he got to the Melanasian tribe in the south Pacific, but he is trying to find himself in a spiritual sense among these people. He see's into the afterlife and tries to put himself there by just completely disregarding humans suffering around him. You can in the beginning of the movie, that he is at peace with where he is before the soldiers come to retrieve him. After he is captured and kept in captivity, he questions the war and his thoughts about the afterlife are uncertain. Captain Staros, questions the morals of everything going on around him. He doesn't see an enemy, he sees human beings around him who are suffering. He is willing to fight for his country yes, but he wants to keep his company alive and well. He wants them to stick together and make it home safely. All of the soldiers question the war and why they are doing what they're doing. Captain Staros is the only taking action trying to protect his men and eventually gets sent home for it.

War has an interesting way of bringing out religious beliefs in everyone, even in people who you thought could never have them. Everyone has one common goal in war: Get in, accomplish your job, and get home safely. Religion is a way for people to believe that everything is going to be okay even in times of war.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 4, 2020 at 2:37 PM

    I believe you caught the aspect of how religion is sought after in times of doubt and toil in a persons life to better connect them to the overarching theme of "Why?". The "why" is what people tend to seek out when bad things happen due to the thought of there not being a reason for these types of situation such as war being so depressing. These ideals very well tie in with the themes that are presented in the Bhagavad-Gita such as karmic energies and "Brahman" which can be described as what gives meaning to every little action throughout ones life. The "why" in the Bhagavad-Gita would have to be described as karma and what has brought a certain situation into being through it's connecting energies which are said to flow throughout the universe. If you have ever heard of the "Butterfly effect" the Bhagavad-Gita would describe such happening as a karmic event that creates a chain reaction of energies. War is one of those things that the Bhagavad-gita touches on in the beginning and shows by the end that there is no purpose to it given that Bhraman and Karmic energies which connect through the powers of yoga are going to bring the same energy back around in a connecting loop thus answering the "why".

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  2. AnonymousApril 9, 2020 at 9:16 AM

    I find your analysis intriguing and accurate, as each character represents a difference in the viewpoints of men and the thoughts they have in moments of extreme reality, as each man does whatever they have to in order to get through it mentally as well as physically. Religious beliefs are a huge aspect of the film, and the contrasts in levels of faith and differences in belief from characters such as Witt and Welsh, or Tall and Staros symbolize the subjective nature of each man trying to process the objective world in which they find themselves. I think another great point is the role that nature plays as a character itself. Half the island is reduced to rubbish, while some of the beautiful greenery remains intact. I believe something to think about is the director's use of nature as an actual living thing, a character just as the soldiers are, as scenes of several animals reacting to the war around them are littered throughout the film. I think the main point the film attempts to prove is that nature is able to adapt, while human beings are forced to hold on to their experiences.

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