A historian explains howThe Thin Red Lineaccurately portrays the U.S. Army’s role during one key World War II battle. Released in 1998,The Thin Red Lineisdirected by Terrence Malickand based on the 1962 novel of the same name by author James Jones. The World War II film, which stars Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, and George Clooney, chronicles the struggles of select soldiers during the bloody Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands and earned a total of seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
In a recent video forInsider, historian John McManus analyzes select scenes fromThe Thin Red Line, finding that the film gets a lot right with its depiction of the Battle of Guadalcanal.The historian praises the film for the ways in which it depicts the Army’s role in this conflict, which he says is often “overlooked"in favor of chronicling the battle from the perspective of the U.S. Marines.
While McManus has reservations about some moments, such as a bayonet stabbing and one lieutenant’s choices,he ultimately awards the film a strong nine out of 10 for historical accuracy. Check out his analysis below:
“So the battle of Mount Austen is the sort of climax of Guadalcanal. When the 25th Infantry Division is assigned to take a lot of the high ground that looks over the airfield, that’s the key objective of the whole campaign. We want to make sure the Japanese don’t control that high ground so they can lob artillery at the airfield.
“The stabbing you see at the beginning, that would’ve been pretty unusual. Bayonet woundings, especially against Americans, were really uncommon. You might have it, under certain circumstances, fixed to the end of your rifle. It’s possible, because if you expected that kind of close quarters fighting, maybe.
“The Japanese are more vulnerable here than they are elsewhere because they’re not in fixed fortifications anymore because they’ve lost most of the key ridgelines and hills that comprise Mount Austen.
“Guadalcanal had a lot of this kind of grass. Kunai grass had these sharp edges. You’d be quite vulnerable to getting these almost little paper cuts, but it’s grass cuts, and that could get infected. It was just one of the many things that just led to a miserable environment to operate in.
“You’ve got something quite accurate in that you’ve got a fire support element with those guys firing their rifles at the ridges and the distance. And then the other group led by that lieutenant is trying to maneuver forward. So that’s fire and maneuver, exactly as you would’ve had.
“What I think is a little questionable is that a lieutenant has sent a couple of first scouts out, which is exactly what you would’ve done, but he’s lost both of them, but he still decides to go forward with these complete frontal attack. I think more likely he would’ve probed around to figure out where the Japanese were before you send your whole element forward.
“I’ll give it a nine out of 10. These two clips definitely represent what is a really good portrayal of the Army’s role, especially in the Battle of Guadalcanal, which tends to get overlooked.”
What The Thin Red Line’s Historical Accuracy Means For The Movie
How The Terrence Malick Movie Fared With Critics & Audiences
On top of featuring a number of elements that are historically accurate,The Thin Red Linewas a success with critics. The film currently holds an 80% critics' score onRotten Tomatoesand a matching 80% audience score.The Thin Red Linecastwas a major point of praise, and the movie featured a number of now-famous stars during the earlier days of their careers.The movie was also lauded, however, for its more philosophical exploration of the Battle of Guadalcanaland the soldier’s experience in World War II more generally.
7 The Thin Red Line Actors Whose Roles Were Cut
The Thin Red Line features one of the most impressive Hollywood ensembles of the 1990s, but several actors' performances were reduced or cut entirely.
The Thin Red Line’s historical accuracy and critical reception helped the film go down as a key title in the larger war movie space, but it didn’t help the film succeed at the box office at the time.The movie was made on an estimated budget of $52 million and would ultimately gross $98 million, meaning it likely did not break even during its theatrical run. It’s very likely, however, considering the film’s current positive reputation, that it did eventually become profitable due to DVD and digital sales/ rentals in subsequent years.
A Hollywood film generally has to earn between two to two-and-a-half times its budget to be considered profitable.
Our Take On The Thin Red Line’s Historical Accuracy
How It Helped The Movie Stand The Test Of Time
To the average movie-goer, historical accuracy may not be a major concern. Generally, it’s more important for movies to be entertaining than to get every historical detail right. That being said,a movie likeThe Thin Red Linebeing historically accurate has undoubtedly helped it stand the test of time and win favor with those familiar with the Battle at Guadalcanaland World War II history in general.
Crucially, however, Malick’sWorld War II movieoffers more than just correct historical details, and it couples this attention to detail with strong performances and a compelling story. Together, all of these elements combine to makeThe Thin Red Linea war movie genre staple, and one that sheds light on aspects of Pacific Theater warfare not covered in other war films.
The Thin Red Line
Cast
The Thin Red Line is a war film directed by Terrence Malick, based on James Jones' autobiographical novel. Released in 1998, it focuses on the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, exploring the psychological toll of combat on soldiers. The ensemble cast includes Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, and Nick Nolte, among others, and delves into themes of survival, fear, and the impact of war on human nature.
