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
Fine Line
Titled after what one soldier says about there being only a "thin red line between the sane and mad", this World War II drama focuses on a young soldier who decides to distance himself as much as possible from his platoon's ruthless sergeant - a decision that gradually leads to him becoming a cold-blooded killer. Keir Dullea and Jack Warden are superb as the young upstart and sergeant respectively with an especially memorable final couple of scenes that capture just how unstable Dullea has become. Warden also has a touching bit in which he repeats his motto regarded dead soldiers ("it's only meat") in a new context. With none of the other characters fleshed out in any depth, one's appreciation of the film is likely to rest entirely on how much interest one takes in the dynamics between Warden and Dullea, which admittedly overshadow the historical backdrop and battlefield action. Edited with nightmarish flashback sequences and full of memorable dialogue (Warden warning of the dangers of letting his privates "start thinking" rather just following orders), this was though clearly intended as a less traditional war movie. As far as dialogue-heavy war movies go, 'The Thin Red Line' might have nothing on Samuel Fuller's masterpieces of the prior decade, but it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath at least as a film that taps into the psychology of war.
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- sol-
- Jun 7, 2017
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Details
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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