Thin Red Line - Adam Paquette

The Thin Red Line shows the American point of view while fighting the Japanese to take back the Guadalcanal. The Americans started off with low morale and were afraid of death. Private Witt was especially scared of death, due to his flashbacks of watching his mother die. However, throughout the movie, we see he has transcended. In the beginning, we see how he was scared when he saw someone die but in the end, the smile, the look in his face showed how his perspective on death had changed. Instead of going AWOL again, Witt pushed forward and stepped up because he came to the realization of the immortality man has, even after physical death.  It was when Witt transcended, that it was the turning point for the Americans to push forward and gain control. The film constantly shows nature and war, even in the same frame. The whole movie shows war, with men firing guns and dying. In the middle of all of this war, the camera focuses briefly on the animal life in this environment, such as baby birds, snakes, or a dying animal. In addition, we see the long grass and tree limbs blowing with the breeze while there is a pause in firing as the troops are crawling low in the grass. I believe that this shows how the holy is present, even in the darkest of places. In addition, the nature/animal life shows how these beautiful creatures can survive in such a harsh environment, in the middle of a war. It shows how the environment can be affected by war, such as the dying bird crawling underneath a tree or the hillside getting destroyed by the bombs. Thus, not only are the men trying to survive in this war environment, but also the environment and wild life.