The depictions of war here are gritty and violent, but there's also a sense of ironic poetry. Beauty and horror co-exist in an indifferent nature. Some highlight performances include Sean Penn as a sergeant contemplating the madness around him, Nick Nolte as a lieutenant colonel obsessed with the battle above all else, and Elias Koteas as a captain who defies orders and refuses to send his men into hell. Very often, the artistry of The Thin Red Line overwhelms its basic storyline to produce a disjointed, somewhat confusing, mix of abstracts. Images and stories meander into the frame, then disappear before a resolution.
Characters fade in and fade out.
I took some time and questioned a few people about the movie after seeing it. To be sure, many people were definitely left with an impression after seeing the film. But because of the fragmented approach used, they just weren't sure what that impression was exactly. Buy the soundtrack.