Summary
In Guadalcanal during World War II, a private and his sergeant clash during the heat of battle with the Japanese." ... focuses on two American soldiers ..., the newlywed draftee Private Doll (Dullea) and Sergeant Welch (Warden), the hardened veteran. Doll is determined to survive whatever the cost, disobeying orders if it will improve his chances; Welch is dutiful yet calculating, resorting to deliberate acts of madness to toughen up his troops by showing them war's own absurdity by example. The clash between the private and the sergeant thus becomes the core to the film, focusing on the "thin red line" between sanity and insanity and depicting how that line blurs for both protagonists. [What follows are a series of poorly planned attacks, in which Doll saves the day, time after time; eventually leading to the taking of the Elephant in the battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. Sgt. Welsh, Doll's immediate line officer grows an affinity for Doll, helping him through his first Kill, but never quite allowing himself to admit his admiration for the young soldier]. The final scene of the movie brings home the true horror of war and the meaninglessness of it all. As directed by veteran Andrew Marton, the film is at its best during sweeping battle sequences capturing the gritty horror of hand-to-hand combat, as the Americans try to take an impregnable wall of caves held by the Japanese enemy. Less successful are portentous scenes and dialogue that underscore this evident parable with a heavy hand; there's a self-conscious art film spin that misfires ..."--Sam Sutherland.Additional Information
| Subjects |
World War, 1939-1945
-- Drama.
Guadalcanal, Battle of, Solomon Islands, 1942-1943 -- Drama. Soldiers -- Attitudes -- Drama. Insubordination -- Drama. War films. Feature films. Fiction films. Film adaptations. |
| Publisher | Maple Plain, MN :Simitar,1997 |
| Other Titles | Thin red line. |
| Contributors |
Marton, Andrew,
1904-1992, film director. Warden, Jack, actor. Dullea, Keir, 1936- actor. Philbrook, James, 1924-1982, actor. Jones, James, 1921-1977. Thin red line. CinemaScope Pictures. Simitar (Firm), publisher. |
| Participants/Performers |
Jack Warden, Keir Dullea, James Philbrook. |
| Language |
English |
| Notes |
Title from disc. Videodisc release of the 1964 motion picture. Based on the novel by James Jones. Features include interactive menus, scene access, and a hot key, providing access to actual battle footage. "7231." |
| System Details |
DVD. DVD player required. |
| Description |
1 videodisc (approximately 100 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. |
| Other | Classic View |