Thoroughly absorbing, Thin Red Line is based on a 1960s novel set during the battle of Guadalcanal. The film spans the spectrum on the reach of a war. It leaves out nothing: the battles, the waiting, the personal struggle, the notion of an enemy's struggle, following orders, the natural landscape, the philosophical strain. At the center of the film is Private Witt, the breakout role for Jim Caviezel, a man who seems to live in harmony with the world, only tossed into the blender of war. The other men worry about home, their careers, the war itself. Through Witt's eyes we see the effect of war on the flora and fauna, the effect on the human will, the absurdity of it all, the oneness of all humankind, and the ability to connect with the world as if we are only a mere part of its living, breathing self. Terrence Malick's screenplay is perhaps the most poetic look into war ever created and John Toll's cinematography is awe-inspiring. Moments exist in this film that approach the limits of language; descriptions often fall short. A contemporary film that receives extremely little praise and viewership, Thin Red Line is essential to everyone, not just film nuts.