"O my soul, let me be in you now. Look out through my eyes. Look out at the things you made. All things shining."
Today, with this film, we continue our journey into some essential questions raised in our experience of art: "what is the nature of humanity?" and "what is the potential of humanity?" Who are we, and what makes us who we are? Is there a moral imperative that directs our path, or do we construct a morality that suits our intentions? Is there such a thing as evil? Is there such a thing as good? Do we choose between them, or do we simply fall into categories that conveniently describe our behavior?
As you work your way through this film, think carefully about how Terence Malick chose to film and narrate this story. Try to frame your question and debatable statements with Terence Malick in mind. He has such a unique approach to telling a war story that we need to acknowledge who this film stands out from what we would normally expect a war film to be.
Here are some questions for us to consider:
- Does this film have a narrator? If so, who is telling the story? Does the teller use words to tell the story? What is the narrative frame?
- Who is Train? Why are most of the voice-overs his words?
- How would you describe the "direction" of events in the story? What does this plot arrangement tell us about the film?
- Sacrifice seems to be a motif in this film. What are some examples of sacrifice in the film? Does this emphasis on sacrifice make the film about redemption?
- Would you say that this film has a protagonist? An antagonist? If so, who? If not, why not?
In your discussion posting, please share ONE thought-provoking question and TWO thought-provoking, debatable statements about The Thin Red Line to the "Debatable Statements" forum in D2L. Please see the calendar and the discussion forum description for additional information.
Your questions and statements should encourage the exchange of ideas between you and your peers. You may ask additional questions about your concerns and confusions, but for the main content of your posting, try to think hard about ideas that relate to the heart of the film, how it's made, and what it achieves as a story. Including clip descriptions that your questions and statements relate to can help your classmates understand your meaning.
The voices of Train:
VO - 1:57 - 2:30
“Whatʼs this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?”
DS - 20:18 - 21:19
“I just canʼt help how damn scared I am, Sarge, all right? I canʼt help it. I got—You know, my stepdaddy took a block and beat me when I was real little. And I—I was scared. And I used to run. I used to hide. Hell, I slept in a chicken coop a whole lot of nights. And, uh—I never thought itʼd get no worse than that. But Iʼm living by the—by the minute over here. Iʼm counting the seconds. And weʼre gonna be landing—Weʼre gonna be landing soon. Thereʼs gonna be air raids. Weʼre probably gonna die before we get off the beach. This place is—Itʼs like a big floating graveyard.”
“Whatʼs your name, kid?”
“I want to own an automobile when I get out.”
“Whatʼs your name?”
“Edward — Edward B. Train”
“Train.”
“The only things that are permanent is—is dying and the Lord. Thatʼs it. Thatʼs all you got to worry about. This war ainʼt—This war ainʼt gonna be the end of me. And it ainʼt gonna be the end of you neither.”
VO - 31:02 - 32:55
“Who are you who live in all these many forms? Your death that captures all. You too are the source of all thatʼs gonna be born. Your glory, mercy, peace, truth. You give calm a spirit, understanding, courage. The contented heart.”
VO - 1:50:42 - 1:52:31
“This great evil. Where does it come from? How did it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from? Whoʼs doing this? Whoʼs killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we might have known? Does our ruin benefit the earth? Does it help the grass to grow, the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you too? Have you passed through this night?”
VO - 2:02:57 - 2:03:17
“Hours like months. Days like years. Walked into the golden age, stood on the shores of a new world.”
VO - 2:06:06 - 2:06:36
“Canʼt nothing make you forget it. Each time you start from scratch. War donʼt ennoble men. It turns ʼem into dogs. Poisons the soul.”
VO - 2:17:02 - 2:18:10
“We were a family. Howʼd it break up and come apart, so that now weʼre turned against each other, each standing in the otherʼs light? How did we lose the good that was given us, let it slip away, scatter it, careless? Whatʼs keeping us from reaching out, touching the glory?”
VO - 2:23:22 - 2:24:04
“One man looks at a dying bird and thinks thereʼs nothing but unanswered pain. But deathʼs got the final word. Itʼs laughing at him. Another man sees that same bird, feels the glory, feels something smiling through it.”
DS - 2:40:23 - 2:41:11
“Somethinʼ I can come back to. Some kind of foundation. I mean, I donʼt know what, you know—what your plans are, but Iʼm determined now. Iʼve been through the thick and thin of it. You know, I may be young, but Iʼve lived plenty of life. Iʼm ready to start living it good. You know, my daddy always told me itʼs gonna get a whole lot worse before it gets better. You know, ʼcause life ainʼt supposed to be that hard when youʼre young. Well, I—I figure after this, the worst is gonna be gone though. Itʼs time for things to get better. Thatʼs what I want. Thatʼs whatʼs gonna happen. Iʼm getting older now. By no means old, but older.”
VO - 2:41:11 - 2:43:05
“Where is it that we were together? Who were you that I lived with, walked with? The brother. The friend. Darkness and light. Strife and love. Are they the workings of one mind, the features of the same face? O my soul, let me be in you now. Look out through my eyes. Look out at the things you made. All things shining.”
