10 More Insanely Accurate War Movie Details
7. Lieutenant Keck's Grenade Pins - The Thin Red Line
"What a f**king recruit trick to pull!"
Woody Harrelson's demise in The Thin Red Line initially appears as though his character was a victim of defective equipment.
Terence Malik's 1998 WWII epic received acclaim for the film's philosophical depiction of war, largely due to the efforts of an ensemble cast that would make Don't Look Up blush. Amongst said cast is Harrelson, who makes a brief appearance as Lieutenant Keck.
Despite the unintentional nature of his death, Keck goes out heroically. Under heavy Japanese fire, the lieutenant attempts to reach for a grenade. accidentally yanking out the pin instead. Harrelson's soldier makes a split-second decision, hurling himself away from his squad to shield them from the blast.
A piece of minor detail clears up the circumstances behind Keck's end. The soldier can be seen using a knife to bend his grenade pins in an earlier sequence. This was a common practice due to the pins' stiffness; a safety feature to prevent accidental detonation. Bending the mechanism made pulling them out easier - handy amidst a firefight, but with potentially deadly consequences.
Despite Hollywood's frequent depiction, ripping these pieces of metal out with your teeth is more likely to result in expensive dental work than an explosion.