The Thin Red Line
“Every man fights his own war.”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Thin Red Line (1998) Trailer - The Criterion CollectionOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2010-08-27
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Jim Caviezel
Pvt. Robert Witt
Nick Nolte
Lt. Col. Gordon Tall
Sean Penn
1st Sgt. Edward Welsh
Ben Chaplin
Pvt. Jack Bell
Elias Koteas
Capt. James Staros
John Cusack
Capt. John Gaff
Dash Mihok
Pfc. Don Doll
John C. Reilly
Sgt. Maynard Storm
Woody Harrelson
Sgt. William Keck
Miranda Otto
Marty Bell
Arie Verveen
Pfc. Charlie Dale
Kirk Acevedo
Pvt. Alfredo Tella
Nick Stahl
Pfc. Edward Bead
Thomas Jane
Pvt. Ash
Tim Blake Nelson
Pvt. Brian Tills
Adrien Brody
Cpl. Geoffrey Fife
George Clooney
Capt. Charles Bosche
Jared Leto
2nd Lt. William Whyte
Release History & Theatrical Window
Shanghai International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 23, 1998
Wide Cinema Exhibition
November 7, 2000
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$52M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$98.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.89x
+$46.1M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Terrence Malick
- Screenplay & Story
- Terrence Malick
- Original Score
- Hans Zimmer
- Original Title
- The Thin Red Line
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Greek, Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 51m
- Production Budget
- $52M
- Worldwide Gross
- $98.1M
- Production Studios
- Fox 2000 Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, George Stevens Jr. Productions, Geisler-Roberdeau Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Terrence Malick
Terrence Malick, James Jones
Hans Zimmer
John Toll, Gary Capo
Leslie Jones, Saar Klein, Billy Weber
George Stevens Jr., Robert Michael Geisler, Grant Hill, John Roberdeau
Department Leadership Roster
Terrence Malick
Director
Terrence Malick
Screenplay
Robert Michael Geisler
Producer
Grant Hill
Producer
John Roberdeau
Producer
John Toll
Director of Photography
Hans Zimmer
Original Music Composer
Jack Fisk
Production Design
Leslie Jones
Editor
Saar Klein
Editor
Billy Weber
Editor
Margot Wilson
Costume Design
Chris Godfrey
Visual Effects Supervisor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Thin Red Line.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Thin Red Line.
North American Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Movie Collection
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Thin Red Line
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Thin Red Line about?
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.
Who directed The Thin Red Line?
The Thin Red Line was directed by Terrence Malick.
Who stars in The Thin Red Line?
The principal cast of The Thin Red Line includes Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Ben Chaplin, Elias Koteas.
When was The Thin Red Line released and how long is it?
The Thin Red Line was released in 1998 with a total runtime of 2h 51m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Thin Red Line?
The Thin Red Line had a reported production budget of $52M and grossed $98.1M at the worldwide box office (1.89 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Thin Red Line?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Thin Red Line was composed by Hans Zimmer.
Is The Thin Red Line based on a book or true story?
The Thin Red Line is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "James Jones".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Thin Red Line?
The Thin Red Line holds official age classifications: CA: 14A; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).