Interesting and intense look at the James Jones novel from Terrence Malick. It stars Sean Penn, Elias Koteas (in a stellar piece of acting—very moving), Woody Harrelson, Nick Nolte, and even George Clooney and John Travolta have somewhat pointless cameos. They bring no star power to them and are a little distracting. When the film focuses on the war, on the combat, on the moral dilemmas involved in sending men to die so that a colonel can become a general, well, that’s interesting. But some of the musings, the narration from the doomed soldier/hero seem a bit pretentious and just don’t make it. Not necessary The story and photography could carry that without the voiceover.