The Thin Red Line Quotes

TRAIN V.O.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power but two?

WITT V.O.
I remember my mother when she was dying, she was all shrunk up and grey. I asked her if she was afraid, she shook her head no. I was afraid to touch the death I seen in her. I couldn't find nothing beautiful or uplifting about her going back to God.
I wondered what it'd be like when I died, to know that this was the last breath you was ever going to draw. I just hoped I could meet it with the same calm she did. Cause that's where it's hidden. The immortality I hadn't seen.

WELSH
(standing)
You haven't changed at all, have you, Witt? You haven't learned a thing. All a man has to do is leave it to you, you put your head in the noose for him.
(sits down in front of Witt)
How many times you been AWOL? You been in the army what, six years now? Ain't it time you smartened up? Stop being such a punk recruit? I mean if you ever gonna.

WITT
(looks around him)
We can't all be smart.

WELSH
No, we can. That's a shame. Look at you.
(pause)
Truth is, you can't take straight duty in my company. You'll never be a real soldier. Not in God's world. This is C company of which I'm First Sergeant. I run this outfit. Now Captain Staros, he's the CO, but I'm the guy who runs it. Nobody is gonna foul that up. You're just another mouth for me to feed. Normally you'd be court-martialed. I worked a deal for you. You ought to consider yourself lucky. I'm sending you to a disciplinary outfit. You'll be a streatcher-bearer. You'll be taking care of the wounded.

WITT
(blinks back tears)
I can take anything you dish out. I am twice the man you are.

WELSH
In this world a man himself is nothing. And there ain't no world but this one.

WITT
You're wrong there, Top. I seen another world. Sometimes I think it was just my imagination.

WELSH
(smiles)
Well, then you've seen things I never will.
We're living in a world that's blown itself to hell as fast as everybody can arrange it. In a situation like that all a man can do is shut his eyes and let nothing touch him. Look out for himself.
I might be the best friend you ever had. You don't even know it.

BELL V.O.
Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you. If I go first, I'll wait for you there. On the other side of the dark waters.
Be with me now.

TRAIN V.O.
Who are you who live in all these many forms? You're death that captures all. You too are the source of all that's gonna be born. You're glory, mercy, peace, truth. You give calm a spirit, understanding, courage, the contented heart.

TRAIN V.O.
Maybe all men got one big soul where everybody's a part of. All faces are the same man, one big self. Everyone looking for salvation by himself. Each like a coal drawn from the fire.

DOLL
(shoots at Japanese soldiers)
I got 'em! I got 'em!
DOLL V.O.
I killed a man.
DOLL
Hey Queen! Queen! You there?
V.O.
Worse thing you can do. Worse than rape.
DOLL
Queen! You see them Japs leaving out left ridge?
V.O.
I killed a man, nobody can touch me for it.

WITT (to Keck)
You're gonna be alright. Even if you die. You didn't let your brother down.

STAROS
I saw the whole thing through the glasses. I want you to know I'm gonna mention this to the orders tomorrow. I'm gonna recommend you for the Silver Star. It's the most courageous thing--

WELSH
Captain, if you say one more thing to thank me, I'm going to knock you right in the teeth. If you mention me in your fucking orders, I'll resign my rating so fast and leave you here to run this busted-up outfit all by yourself. You understand? Property! Whole fucking thing's about property.

TALL V.O.
Shut up in a tomb. Can't lift the lid. Playing a role I never conceived.

TALL
That's all Captain. One more thing, Staros. It's not necessary for you to tell me I'm right. Ever. We'll assume it. Dismissed.

WELSH
I feel sorry for you, kid.

WITT
Yeah?

WELSH
Yeah, a little. This army's gonna kill you.

WITT
Huh.

WELSH
If you're smart you'll take care of yourself. There's nothing you can do for anybody else. You're just running into a burning house where nobody can be saved.
(lights cigarette)
What difference you think you can make, one single man in all this madness? If you die, it's gonna be for nothing. There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay. There's just this world. Just this rock.

BELL V.O.
We. We together. One being. Flow together like water. Till I can't tell you from me. I drink you. Now. Now.

TRAIN V.O.
This great evil--where's it come from? How'd it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from? Who's doing this? Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we mighta known? Does our ruin benefit the earth, aid the grass to grow and the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you too? Have you passed through this night?

UNKNOWN JAPANESE SOLDIER V.O.
Are you righteous, kind? Does your confidence lie in this? Are you loved by all? Know that I was, too. Do you imagine your sufferings will be less because you loved goodness, truth?

BELL V.O.
My dear wife. You get something twisted out of your insides by all this blood, filth and noise. I want to stay changeless for you. I want to come back to you the man I was before. How do we get to those other shores? To those blue hills?
Love--where does it come from? Who lit this flame in us? No war can put it out, conquer it. I was a prisoner. You set me free.

STORM
I look at that boy dying, I don't feel nothing. I don't care about nothing anymore.

WELSH
Sounds like bliss.

WITT V.O.
We were a family. How'd it break up and come apart so that now we're turned against each other, each standing in the other's light? How'd we lose the good that was given us, let it slip away, scattered, careless? What's keeping us from reaching out, touching the glory?

WELSH
Why are you such a trouble maker, Witt?

WITT
You care about me, don't you, sarge, I always felt like you did. Why do you always make yourself out like a rock? One day I can come up and talk to you and the next day it's like we never even met.
(pause)
Lonely house now. You ever get lonely?

WELSH
Only around people.

WITT
(softer)
Only around people.

WELSH
You still believing in the beautiful light, are you? How do you do that? You're a magician to me.

WITT
I still see a spark in you.

WITT V.O.
One man looks at a dying bird and thinks there's nothing but unanswered pain. That death's got the final word, it's laughing at him. Another man sees that same bird, feels the glory, feels something smiling through it.

BAND
We need to find somebody out there to find out where that line is being cut and we need to find out how close they are. C'mon!
(looks around desperately for volunteers)
Er, okay, er--hey, you, you go. You're going, Fife. Coombs! You go too. C'mon.

WITT
I'll go. I want you to know, I think the whole thing's a bad idea though. If they come down here and they strage, they'll knock our position to hell and flinders.

BAND
You don't have to go, private. There's others who volunteered.

WITT
No. I wanna go. In case something bad happens, I wanna be there.

WITT
One of us needs to stay here and hold them off.
(looks back at Coombs then again to Fife)
We'll be alright. My friend here doe'n't have long.

WELSH
(kneels at Witt's grave)
Where's your spark now?

BOSCHE
I know you men have been making and drinking this goddam swipe and that's okay by me.

WELSH V.O.
Everything a lie.

BOSCHE
Any man in an outfit of mine can get as drunk as he wants to every night...

WELSH V.O.
Everything you hear, everything you see.

BOSCHE
... as long as he's ready and in shape to make reveleille and carry out any assignment he is given. If he can't do that, he's gonna have trouble from me.

WELSH V.O.
So much to spew out.

BOSCHE
I prefer to think of myself as a family man, and that's what we all are here, whether we like it or not. We are a family. I'm the father. Guess that makes Sergeant Welsh here the mother.

WELSH V.O.
They just keep coming. One after another.

BOSCHE
That makes you all the children in this family. Father's the head, mother runs it. That's the way it's gonna work here. If any of you men want to see me about anything...

WELSH V.O.
You're in a box.

BOSCHE
...anything at all, you will find that I am available.

WELSH V.O.
A moving box.

BOSCHE
This war's not gonna be over by next Christmas, it's gonna be a long time before we get home...

WELSH V.O.
They want you dead or in their lie. Only one thing a man can do. Find something that's his. Make an island for himself. If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack. A glance from your eyes and my life will be yours.

WITT V.O.
Who were you that I lived with, walked with? The brother, the friend? Strife and love, darkness and light--are they the workings of one mind, features of the same face? Oh my soul. Let me be in you now. Look out through my eyes. Look out at the things you made. All things shining.