The Thin Red Line (Criterion Collection)

Returning to the screen after a 20-year absence, writer/director Terrence Malick adapts James Jones’ semi-autobiographical novel about the pivotal WWII battle of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. The brutal realities of combat are seen through the eyes of a U.S. army company headed by a captain (Elias Koteas) and a first sergeant (Sean Penn). Also in the ensemble cast are Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, Nick Nolte, John Travolta. 171 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.