Richard:
It seems to me that what is most amazing about the film is how Malick privileges the perspective of Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), who remains open to all of the myriad experiences the war provides. Robert Clewis, one of the contributors to the last installment of Film and Philosophy, wrote a great article on the Heideggerean influence on Malick's work. Witt's impact on all those around him, but especially on Sergeant Welsh (Sean Penn's best role in years), is astonishing, and Witt's death, given a kind of spiritual quality by Malick, is but another experience for him to undergo.
Dan
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