The Thin Red Line

What's this war in the heart of nature?

Why does nature vie with itself?

The land contend with the sea?

Is there an avenging power in nature?

Not one power, but two?

I remember my mother when she was dying.

She looked all shrunk up and gray.

I asked her if she was afraid.

She just shook her head.

I was afraid to touch the death I seen in her.

I couldn't find nothing beautiful or uplifting...

about her going back to God.

I heard people talk about immortality.

But I ain't seen it.

I wondered how it'd be when I died.

What it'd be like to know that this breath now...

was the last one you was ever gonna draw.

I just hope I can meet it the same way she did...

with the same calm.

'Cause that's where it's hidden -

the immortality I hadn't seen.

Kids around here never fight.

Sometimes.

Sometimes when you see them playing.

They always fight.

- Is she afraid of me? - Little bit.

- Are you afraid of me? - Yes.

- Why? - 'Cause you look -

You look as an army.

- I look army, huh? - Yes.

Well, that don't matter.

It doesn't matter.

- Baby's tired. - Yes.

If she swims, she wants, she will sleep.

Hmm.

Okay.

There you go. Go, go, go, go. Go.

Go, go, go. Go!

Witt, patrol boat. She's American.

What's it doing out here all alone?

You haven't changed at all, have you, Witt?

You haven't learned a thing.

All a man has to do is leave it to you, you put your head in the noose for him.

How many times you been AWOL?

You been in the army, what, six years now?

Ain't it about time you smartened up and stopped being such a punk recruit?

I mean, if you're ever gonna.

We can't all be smart.

No, we can't. That's a shame.

Look at you.

Truth is, you can't take straight duty in my company.

You'll never be a real soldier.

Not in God's world.

This is C Company, of which I'm first sergeant.

I run this outfit.

Now, Captain Staros, he's the C.O., but I'm the guy that runs it.

Nobody's gonna foul that up.

You're just another mouth for me to feed.

Normally you'd be court-martialed.

But I worked a deal for ya. You oughta consider yourself lucky.

I'm sending you to a disciplinary outfit.

You'll be a stretcher bearer.

You'll be taking care of the wounded.

I can take anything you dish out.

I'm twice the man you are.

In this world...

a man himself...

is nothin'.

And there ain't no world but this one.

You're wrong there, Top.

I seen another world.

Sometimes I think it was just my imagination.

Well...

then you've seen things I never will.

We're living in a world that's blowing itself to hell

as fast as everybody can arrange it.

In a situation like that, all a man can do is shut his eyes and let nothing touch him.

Look out for himself.

I might be the best friend you ever had.

You don't even know it.

He hates you worse than poison.

I never felt he hated me.

'Cause I don't hate him.

I love Charlie Company.

They're my people.

They call it “The Rock.” Now, nobody wants this island.

The Japs just put an airfield there. All the fighting's confined to this area.

As you can see, this is their road to Australia...

and this is their way of controlling the sea lanes to America.

Now, if we're gonna stop the Japs' advance...

into the South Pacific, we've got to do it right there.

The marines have done their job. Now it's our turn.

Worked my ass off.

Brown-nosed the generals.

Degraded myself. .

For them, for my family...

my home.

- I admire you, Colonel. I do. - Thank you, sir.

Most men your age would have retired by now.

It's okay.

We need general officers with maturity and character like you.

We've got good sergeants. We've got good lieutenant colonels.

But once a man gets those eagles - ooh, he can't wait to get that star.

- Can he? He becomes a politician, right? - Uh-huh.

Goes along to get along.

So goddamn hard to stay upright.

You said it there, sir.

With the admiral watching, which he will be.

There's always someone watching you.

Like a hawk.

Always someone ready to jump in if you're not.

Do you have a son, Colonel?

- Yes, sir. I do. - Good.

'Cause we don't want our sons or our grandsons...

fighting this war 30 years from now, do we?

- No, sir. We sure don't. - Then you crush 'em without mercy.

You - You dig them out of the hills and protect that airfield.

Yes, sir.

Do you wonder why - why did they -

Why did the Japs put an airfield there, of all places?

I guess we don't know the bigger picture though, do we?

If there is such a thing. What do you think?

Well, sir, I never asked myself that question.

You're a humble man.

Nobody wants that island, but you.

How much do you want it?

As much as I have to, sir.

All they sacrificed for me...

poured out like water on the ground.

All I might have given for love's sake.

Too late.

Dyin'...

Slow as a tree.

You feel it?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Take topside to the signal bridge.

The closer you are to Caesar, the greater the fear.

I just can't help how damn scared I am, Sarge, all right?

I can't help it. I got -

You know, my stepdaddy took a block and beat me when I was real little.

And I-I was scared. And I used to run. I used to hide.

Hell, I slept in a chicken coop a whole lot of nights.

And, uh -

I never thought it'd get no worse than that.

But I'm living by the - by the minute over here.

I'm counting the seconds.

- Yeah. - And we 're gonna be landing -

We 're gonna be landing soon. There's gonna be air raids.

We're probably gonna die before we get off the beach.

This place is - it's like a big floating graveyard.

What's your name, kid?

I want to own an automobile when I get out.

- What's your name? - Edward - Edward B. Train.

Train.

The only things that are permanent is - is dying and the Lord.

That's it. That's all you got to worry about.

This war ain't - This war ain't gonna be the end of me.

And it ain't gonna be the end of you neither.

Think we 'll catch an air raid?

How in the hell should I know?

All's I know is them crew guys said

they didn't catch no air raid the last time they made this run.

On the other hand, time before last, they nearly got blew up.

- What do you want me to tell you? - You're a big help, Tills.

Nothing. Tell me nothing. Tell you something.

We're sitting out here on this ocean

like a couple of fuckin' ducks in these here boats.

- That's what. - I already know that.

Well, brood on it, Tills. Brood on it.

- Ain't you watching the fun? - Ain't interested.

- Yeah, I guess it is pretty crowded. - Wouldn't be interested even if it wasn't.

Well, I'm on my way to get me that pistol.

- Yeah? Well, have fun. - Yeah, have fun.

You'll wish you had one once we get ashore...

and run into some of them samurai sabers.

Open this door! Open this goddamn door!

Open the door!

I learned to deal these cards before -

All right. Here I am sleeping.

Yeah.

All right, ladies. Is this a sewing circle or a card game?

- All right, jacks high, jack bet. - Robert's got two jacks.

I never bargained for nothing like this when I signed up for this man's army...

back in the Bronx before the war.

How was I supposed to know there was gonna be a fuckin' war, huh?

Answer me that.

All I know is old Charlie Company's always gettin' screwed. Always.

And I can tell you whose fault it is too.

It's that captain of ours.

First he gets us stuck off on this boat, clear away from our own outfit...

Where we don't know a fucking soul.

Then he gets us stuck way down -

Hello, Captain.

Read in your 201 file you were an officer before the war.

How'd you end up a private?

'Cause of my wife.

I was in the Corps of Engineers.

Uh, w-we'd never been separated before.

Not even for a night.