Thin Red Line - Bev Hollberg

  The Thin Red Line, which I would describe as several hours of watching men be brutally murdered, was intentionally made so disturbing so as to encourage viewers to reflect on the gift of life. One of my initial reactions was "I'd be the worst soldier ever, I'd just hide in the grass the entire time" and "I'm so glad women aren't included in the draft". My gratitude for never having to go to war is probably fairly universal within viewers (as the director intended). By emphasizing human distaste for war through the film's graphic depictions of death, the director leads his viewers to the question of "what is worth the sacrifice of human life?" For Krishna and the Colonel, duty is the price of life. 

 The Thin Red Line was very difficult to watch, as I'm not normally someone who puts up with any type of blood and guts. I think the gore was intended to convey the sublime nature of war and life. By reminding viewers of how terrible the loss of life is, the film reminds viewers of how holy life is. For example, the man who blew his backside off, devalued his life in an effort to value the lives of his comrades by blocking them from the grenade with his body. The holiness of life is masked by the gore simultaneously, since war is generally understood as the devaluing life. 

The battle took place largely in grasses which swayed beautifully despite the vicious and bloody struggles highlighted throughout the movie. The men hidden in the grass were engaged in a brutal struggle for life that all other animals are constantly engaged in. By inhabiting the habitat of animals, the director illustrates how in war men are returned to animalistic, natural struggle for life. 

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