The Thin Red Line ending explained (spoilers)

[kenzi]

During a skirmish, Witt (Caviezel), Fife (Brody) and Coombs are sent off into the jungle to find out where their communications are being cut. They run into a Japanese platoon, where Coombs is wounded. Witt distracts the Japs, while Fife runs back to the American group and Coombs floats off down the river. Witt runs into a small opening, where the Japanese surround him and shoot him. As he dies, he remembers back to when he was with the Melanesian tribe. Welsh (Penn) builds a little grave for Witt. The squad gets a new Captain (Clooney). The films ends with the surviving Americans sailing off to fight their next battle.