

The Thin Red Line
Every man fights his own war.
The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.
TMDB
7.4/10
3,461 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $52M
- Box office
- $98.1M
- Language
- English
- based on novel or book
- steel helmet
- world war ii
- battle assignment
- invasion
- infantry
- marine corps
- us army
- commander
- rifle
- pacific war
- gun battle
Top billed cast


















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereBeverly Hills, California22 Dec 1998
- Theatrical (limited)R23 Dec 1998
- TheatricalR15 Jan 1999
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1527 Feb 1999
United Arab EmiratesAE
- TV18 Jun 2014
AustraliaAU
- Theatrical18 Feb 1999
CanadaCA
- Theatrical14A14 Jan 1999
ArgentinaAR
- Premiere14 Feb 1999
- Theatrical25 Feb 1999
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical1824 Feb 1999
BrazilBR
- Theatrical26 Feb 1999
ChinaCN
- PremiereShanghai International Film Festival1 Oct 1999
ColombiaCO
- Theatrical26 Mar 1999
CzechiaCZ
- Theatrical12+18 Mar 1999
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1526 Feb 1999
Frequently asked questions
The Thin Red Line was released on 23 December 1998.
Audience reviews
5- C6/10
CRCulver
9/1/2018
The circumstances around Terence Malick's <i>The Thin Red Line</i> are sometimes more talked about than the film itself. The reclusive director had made a big splash in the Seventies, but there followed two decades of silence. When he finally reappeared in 1998 to direct this adaptation of James Jones's novel about the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II, many actors were desperate to work with him and he was …
- B4/10
badelf
9/17/2022
As war movies go, this one sucks. I'm pretty sure (although I didn't read it, that the novel (and maybe original screenplay) must have been fantastic, but Terrence Malick really bungled this: no clear vision, no character investment, a ridiculous amount of stupid jump cuts. I was willing to quit 40% into the film but my wife wanted to see the rest (as almost kind of a challenge to see if she could spot another of the…
- G1/10
GenerationofSwine
1/12/2023
Yeah, this is pretentious. And what makes it worse is that in all of it's art house pomp, it doesn't come across so much as anti-war as it does anti- stopping the Japanese and Germans from their genocidal bid for world domination. It was like they were saying that they are devoutly on the left... so much so that they support the axis powers if only because the alternative is the United States and Democracy and tha…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
8/28/2023
This is a captivating and stunningly photographed depiction of the horrors of jungle warfare. Jim Caviezel is "Witt" - apprehended from some unofficial leave by his Sergeant "Welsh" (Sean Penn) and is interned aboard a troop ship pending court-martial. All of that due process is soon abandoned as their squad is assigned to take an important hill position from an entrenched Japanese force on Guadalcanal. It is a very …
- B9/10
BornKnight
12/21/2023
Terrence Mallick is just making movies, and probably my favorite director among all, and he is responsible for the direction and screenplay. One characteristic of Mallicks movie is the dream-like essence on his way to approach the direction and cinematography and here were are not far from this: many of the acne narrations are like phrases resonating inside the (many) characters minds, and the paradisiac movie beginn…
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