Earlier on the list, there were a number of negative reviews of the recent
film "The Thin Red Line". I'd like to offer an alternative view...
Since Guadalcanal was hardly a mechanized fight on the ground, the movie shows
only a few military vehicles, but those are realistic and mostly correct by
my standards. I thought the parked aircraft displays were quite well done -
the P-400s particularly.
Several on the list felt that the movie was disrespectful of both Japanese and
American soldiers. I did not see any sign of this disrespect. The film shows
a full range of emotional reactions to finding one's self in a alien sort of
place, faced with deadly combat. I feel that it did a good job of portraying
what I imagine the human struggles in the Pacific War must have been like.
There were heroes, regular guys, and losers among all three groups: Japanese,
Americans, and the owners of the land they were fighting over.
It also shows the beauty of the locations around the Solomons (but I believe
it was shot in Northern Australia).
In my opinion, another good WWII film has been made. It is such a relief to
be able to watch a movie about World War II (particularly the Pacific Theater)
and not be faced with the usual glaring anachronisms and nonsense.
Steve Johnston
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