Captain Haggie;
I haven't read the book which used this title, and the movie continued it. Based on other posters' comments, I suspect that James Jones, the author of the novel, did not intend to connect the story to the Crimean War, Rudyard Kipling's poem, or Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. He was no historian, military or otherwise. He was a low level, line doggie and wrote from that perspective. He may have heard the term "The Thin Red Line," and understood it only as denoting courage in war. Or he may have arrived at the title independently and its connection to the other uses is entirely accidental.
Certainly, as history, this movie is completely inaccurate and useless. The 27th Regiment as part of the XIV Corps arrived on Guadalcanal in December, to replace the 1st Marine Division who were pretty much used up. They had been fighting on short rations for four months and needed the rest. That same month the Japanese decided to withdraw and most of what the XIV Corps fought were rear guard efforts which, the Japanese Army being Japanese, were no doubt fierce. But, when the movie opens with the US Army landing on a beach and being surprised by the lack of defense, it starts wrong and never improves.
As a poetic study of the oppressive loneliness of battle and the fear that it engenders, I trust it as Jones's true feelings. In my operations days, I was part of a team that flew together and lived together. There was no being wounded. Had we screwed up, we all would have died together very suddenly. We never took much time to stress about it.
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Captain-Haggis
10 years ago
I've never read it myself mate, but that's a damn good answer and shows me up for the ignoramus I am.
I hadn't really considered the author at all and how the term related to his personal experience. I was railing against the movie as if that's all it was about and the title had been used as a recognisable 'hook'. :/
Seeing action in the battle of Guadalcanal, I'd say he's more than entitled to use the term and I apologise profusely.
(I don't read many war accounts* (too many memorials with too many names in every town and village here, but I might give this one a read))
*Last one I read (on recommendation) was Birdsong.
It was a book that desperately wanted to be a film, but settled for a BBC two part drama.
Both the book and the drama were mostly utter gash.
Tiny bit of reality and a pile of romantic garbage slopped over the top to make it 'palatable' to the book of the month clubs. (Faulks deserves a good kick in the stones imho)
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dannieboy20906
10 years ago
Captain Haggis;
It's impossible to tell someone who hasn't been there what it's like. My job as an enlisted flyboy was to listen to the enemy. I copied a lot of official reports by them on actions, theirs and ours, and I copied a lot of unofficial discussions between front line guys. We developed the same fatalistic, sardonic, graveyard sense of humor that they had.
Even when a soldier writes a good book that does carry a true message, it is damn difficult to make a movie that holds true to the message.
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Captain-Haggis
10 years ago
I worked with ex British military for many years, all forces.
The ex Army and Royal Marine peeps were a laugh and half (great stories as well), really good in a pinch.
The most reserved (or totally nuts at the other end of the spectrum) were ex RN submariners.
Didn't see many RAF, but the few RAF Regiment lads were all business (a bit dour, but hardy bastards nevertheless).
Ex RN surface forces we didn't see much of for some reason. Probably snagged better jobs.
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lambrettaguy200
10 years ago
It's maybe possible that the phrase "The Thin Red Line" was partially inspired by the Argylls and that James Jones had heard it at some time or seen it in the papers and thought the phrase sounded right for his purpose of meaning. The 1st Batt Argylls, who inherited the old Crimean nickname for the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders "The Thin Red Line", were part of the first British troops (27th Brigade) to arrive in Pusan, Korea in the summer of 1950. The 1st Argylls whipped up much interest at the time among their American comrades and "The Stars and Stripes" and US newspapers showed photos of the Scottish and American troops posing together (including one of a PFC trying out Pte Pitkeathly's bagpipes while the piper shields his ears), plus recounting a brief history of the Argylls and their nickname "The Thin Red Line". In late September 1950, during the break-out from the Pusan perimeter, Major Kenny Muir, posthumously won the Victoria Cross during the attack on Hill 282. So for a brief moment,"The Thin Red Line" may have been a known phrase in the US.
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