The Thin Red Line (1998)

John Dee Smith: Pvt. Train

Quotes 

• 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?

• [last lines] 

  Private Edward P. Train : [voice over]  Where is it that we were together? Who were you that I lived with? The brother. The friend. Darkness, light. Strife and love. Are they the workings of one mind? The 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.

• [first lines] 

  Private Edward P. Train : 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?

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

• 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 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.

• 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.