From the meaning of the title to the failure to attach the narration voices to the correct characters and to the overall themes of the film, it seems to me that so many that complain about this film just don't get it.
It seems many go into watching this film thinking it is a typical war/action movie and base their response on that perception.
Well, Guadalcanal is depicted as practically Paradise until the horrors of war spoil the place...Americans and Japanese alike were poleaxed by tropical illnesses, with the Japanese getting the worst of it due to poor medical supplies and logistics. A Japanese patrol is practically begging Pvt. Witt to surrender towards the end of the movie...the Japanese were in retreat by that time and could hardly take care of themselves let alone prisoners (if they even wanted to bother taking any). The attack on the village is useful for showing that Americans could behave just as barbarously as the Japanese, but the Japanese extras mostly do stuff in that scene that their grandfathers were taught was disgraceful.
shareYes, obviously.
This film is a masterpiece.
It's a litmus test for filmmaking: you don't get it, you should stick to something else.