The personal stories of American soldiers sent to fight on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal during the Second World War. The men, among them a former deserter, are forced to confront their fears and beliefs during a bitter conflict for control of a key airfield. Terrence Malick's Second World War drama, adapted from James Jones' 1962 novel. Starring Sean Penn, Ben Chaplin, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel and Woody Harrelson