A poetic interpretation of James Jones' novel (filmed before in 1964) about a United States Army platoon trying to take Guadalcanal from the Japanese during World War II, The Thin Red Line offers intense portraits of various soldiers—from a pacifist private to a results-driven lieutenant colonel—along with powerful philosophical and spiritual musings (conveyed through voiceovers) on war, death, courage and sanity. A stunning and rich piece of filmmaking, The Thin Red Line transcends its war theme to address questions about life itself.