Ryan Lynch - Thin Red Line

Thin Red Line was probably the most beautiful film we watched all year, in a cinematography sense.  Not only was the landscape and nature beautiful to gawk at, it also symbolized a beautiful symbiosis between the plights of man and how nature is involved in that.  The duality of the natural order and the societal order is beautifully represented in this film.  Often times throughout this film when there is a vicious battle occurring with death all around the camera will seemingly randomly cut to an innocent shot of nature, either of a baby bird leaving its tree or just a part of the flora of the island.  This symbolizes how even when man is at war, killing each other, and death almost encompassing the island, life still moves on.  The constant churn and cycle of nature still progresses despite the horror of what man is doing to each other within its confines.  Life will continue on even in the face of death.  Nature was here long before humanity, and hit will be around long after we have gone, nature will always prevail.  Another interesting part of the film is the journey of the main character. Here is first seen as a deserter evading the US Navy on a random atoll in the south Pacific.  He is afraid of death will do anything to remove himself from a situation that presents that as a possible outcome.  This is shown in the battle scenes as well as he first is not willing to put himself out on the battle field and fight.  He is afraid of his own mortality.  Near the end of the film he begins to accept his situation and understands himself and his place world.  In the end he puts himself in a situation where death is a possible outcome and he chooses death.  He embraces his fate and realizes that this where immortality lies, in the embrace of death.