5 real historical locations · Solomon Islands
Terrence Malick's philosophical war film follows a US Army company during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Unlike traditional combat films, it meditates on nature, beauty, and violence — an interior war film told through competing voices searching for meaning in the madness of the Pacific.
CinemaMapped has mapped 5 real historical locations where the story takes place, spanning Solomon Islands.
Philosophical meditation on the Battle of Guadalcanal — American soldiers assault Japanese-held Hill 210.
The fighting on Guadalcanal was distinguished by its ferocity and the conditions — equatorial jungle, malaria, and supply shortages that killed almost as many men as combat. Both sides fought to exhaustion before Japa...
View location →The American airfield at the heart of the Guadalcanal campaign — the prize both sides bled for across six months of fighting.
Henderson Field was shelled nightly by Japanese warships and raided daily by aircraft from Rabaul. US Marine and Army Air Corps pilots flew from here in conditions of extreme deprivation, suffering from malaria and ma...
View location →Charlie Company storms the fortified Japanese hilltop positions — the film's central battle sequence.
Mount Austen dominated the Lunga perimeter and Henderson Field. The Japanese 'Gifu' strongpoint on its slopes resisted American attacks for weeks. Its capture in January 1943 was a turning point in the campaign.
View location →American Marines attempt to cross the river against heavily entrenched Japanese positions along the western bank.
The Matanikau River was the scene of multiple costly engagements in September-October 1942. Marines made three separate attempts to cross before establishing a bridgehead that pushed the Japanese perimeter back.
View location →Japanese reinforcement landings and the encirclement battle east of the Lunga perimeter.
Japanese forces landed at Koli Point in November 1942 intending to attack Henderson Field from the east. The 164th Infantry Regiment encircled and destroyed most of this force in a week of jungle fighting.
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