The Thin Red Line Quotes

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: It's not necessary for you to ever tell me that you think I'm *right*. Ever. We'll assume it.

Japanese Soldier: Are you righteous? Kind? Does your confidence lie in this? Are you loved by all? Know that I was, too. Do you imagine your suffering will be any less because you loved goodness and truth?

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay. There's just this one, just this rock.

Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros: I've lived with these men, sir, for two and a half years and I will not order them all to their deaths.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: I might be your best friend, and you don't even know it.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: In this world, a man, himself, is nothing. And there ain't no world but this one.

Private Witt: [voice over] 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 that good that was given us? Let it slip away. Scattered it, careless. What's keepin' us from reaching out, touching the glory?

Pvt. Jack Bell: [voice over] We. We together. One being. Flow together like water. Till I can't tell you from me. I drink you. Now. Now.

Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros: [praying] You're my light. My guide.

Private Edward P. Train: [narration] 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 might've known? Does our ruin benefit the earth, does it help the grass to grow, the sun to shine? Is this darkness in you, too? Have you passed through this night?

Private Witt: [voice over] Everyone lookin' for salvation by himself. Each like a coal thrown from the fire.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: Rosy-fingered dawn. You're Greek, aren't you, Captain? Did you ever read Homer? We read Homer at the Point. In Greek.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: [voice over] Shut up in a tomb. Can't lift the lid. Playing a role I never concieved.

Private Witt: I seen another world. Sometimes I think it was just my imagination.

Private Witt: [voice over] Maybe all men got one big soul everybody's a part of, all faces are the same man. One big self.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: What difference do you think you can make? One single man in aII this madness. If you die, it's gonna be for nothing.

Private Witt: I can take anything you dish out. I am twice the man you are.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Property. The whole fucking thing's about property.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: The only time you should start worrying about a soldier is when they stop bitchin'.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Everything a lie... Everything you hear, everything you see... So much to spew out... They just keep coming, one after another... You're in a box... A moving box... They want you dead, or in their lie. Only one thing a man can do - find something that's his, and 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.

Pvt. Jack Bell: 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.

Colonel Gordon Tall: How many men is it worth? How many lives? One? Two? Twenty? Lives will be lost in your company, Captain. If you don't have the stomach for it, now is the time to let me know.

Colonel Gordon Tall: John, I'm convinced that the Japanese position can be broken right now. All we have to do is keep going and we'll have this hill. We'll have this hill by sundown! You see the spirit in these men? Do you see the new spirit? Well, I want to take advantage of that before something happens to sap their strength. To have this battalion relieved in a defeat, or even to have it reinforced by troops from a reserve regiment, if we were stalled before reaching the top, well, Jesus Christ, that's just a hell of a lot more than I could stand! I've waited all my life for this. I've worked, slaved, eaten untold buckets of shit to have this opportunity and I don't intend to give it up now.

Colonel Gordon Tall: Look at this jungle. Look at those vines, the way they twine around, swallowing everything. Nature's cruel, Staros.

Private Edward P. Train: [narrating] Oh, my soul, let me be in you now. Look out through my eyes, look out at the things you've made. All things shining.

Private Jack Bell: 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.

Sergeant Storm: It makes no difference who you are, no matter how much training you got and the tougher guy you might be. When you're at the wrong spot at the wrong time, you gonna get it.

Private Jack Bell: [Narrating] 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.

Private Witt: [narrating] War don't ennoble men. It turns them into dogs... poisons the soul.

Pvt. Charlie Dale: Maybe they wanna get into eh... Nirvana.

Pvt. Charlie Dale: See them birds up there... they gonna eat you raw. You're dyin'.

Pvt. Charlie Dale: What are you to me? Nothin'.

Private Ash: I'm outta this war for good, Witt.

Private Witt: How did we loose all the good that was given us?. Let it slip away. Scattered careless.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Where's your spark now?

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: This is very important decision you're makin', Staros.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: Come on, men, let's go! You're gonna see plenty more of these where we're goin'! Are we going up this hill or aren't we?

Corporal Fife: They're coming! Fall back!

Brigadier General Quintard: The Marines had their chance now we have ours.

Private First Class Edward Beade: [as he is dying] Fife... Fife...

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: We're living in a world that's blowing itself to hell as fast as everybody can arrange it. In a situation like that aII a man can do is shut his eyes and let nothing touch him. Look out for himself.

Sergeant Keck: Oh, Jesus! I blew my butt off. I blew my butt off!

Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros: The tough part is, uh... Not knowing if you're doing any good. That's the hard part.

Private Witt: [narration] Who are you to live in all these many forms? Your death that captures all. You, too, are the source of all that's gonna be born. Your glory. Mercy. Peace. Truth. You give calm a spirit, understanding, courage. The contented heart.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: You feel like a son to me, John. You know what my son does? He's a bait salesman.

Capt. James 'Bugger' Staros: You are my sons, my dear sons. You live inside me now. I'll carry you wherever I go.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: [Voiceover] If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack. A glance from your eyes, and my life will be yours.

Private Edward P. Train: One man looks at a dying bird and thinks there's nothing but unanswered pain. But death's got the final word. It's laughing at him. Another man sees that same bird, feels the glory. Feels something smiling through him.

Private Witt: I Iove Charlie Company. They're my people.

Private Edward P. Train: The only things that are permanent is, is dyin' and the Lord. That's it. That's aII you gotta worry about. This war ain't - this war ain't gonna be the end of me and it ain't gonna be the end of you neither.

Private Edward P. Train: HeII... we're gonna be landin' soon and there's gonna be air raids. We're probably gonna die before we get off the beach. This place is - it's like a big floatin' graveyard.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Captain, you say one more word to thank me, I'II knock you right in the teeth. You mention me in your fuckin' orders and I'II resign so fast and Ieave you here to run this busted-up outfit by yourself. You understand?

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: Get that blouse on, soldier. It's not a goddamn bathing beach!

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: From their knob up there, those goddamn little brown brothers can cover the whole of the ground in front of this position for 1,000 yards. They've Ieft this Iedge unguarded. Now, goddamn it, that's a mistake. That's a heII of a mistake! We need to take advantage of it before they see their error. AII right, aII right, I know you're aII pretty exhausted, and we've had a heII of a time getting water up here. For that I'm sorry. I apologize to you aII. But if we can reduce this bunker tomorrow, I think we can take this ridge. So, I'm asking for volunteers. Go back up there and knock it out!

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: This army's gonna kiII you. If you were smart, you'd 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.

Marty Bell: Come out. Come out where I am.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: You don't know what it feels Iike to be passed over. I mean, you're young. You're just out of the Academy. You're, you know, you've got your war! This 15 years, this is my first war! John, some day you'II understand.

Lt. Col. Gordon Tall: We attack in one hour! We'II throw everything we got at 'em. We're going aII the way! Nothing's stoppin' us. It's high ground by nightfaII!

Private Edward P. Train: Hours like months. Days like years. Walked into the golden age. Stood on the shores of the New World.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: I don't have that feeling yet. That numbness. Not Iike the rest of you guys. Maybe cause I knew what to expect. Maybe I was just frozen up already.

Pvt. Jack Bell: I haven't touched another woman since I was caIIed up. Or talked to one. I don't wanna - I don't wanna feel the desire.

Capt. Bosche: I prefer to think of myself as a family man, and that's what we aII are here, whether we Iike it or not. We are a family. I'm the father. Guess that makes Sergeant WeIsh here the mother... That makes you aII the children in this family. Now, a family can have only one head, and that is the father. Father's the head, mother runs it. That's the way it's gonna work here.

Private Edward P. Train: I'm determined now. I've been through the thick and thin of it. You know, I may be young, but I've Iived plenty of Iife. I'm ready to start Iiving it good. You know, my daddy always told me it's gonna get a Iot worse before it gets better. You know, cos Iife ain't supposed to be that hard when you're young. WeII, I figure after this the worst is gonna be gone. It's time for things to get better. That's what I want. That's what's gonna happen. I'm getting older now. By no means old, but older.