The Trench (film)
Encyclopedia
The Trench is a 1999
film directed by William Boyd
that portrays a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme
in the last 48 hours.
– basically boys dressed as men – depend on the war-hardened Sergeant
Winter (Daniel Craig
) and the scholarly Lieutenant
Hart (Julian Rhind-Tutt
) for their survival. When word arrives that the squad will join the first wave of attacks, they do not yet know they will be present when the British Army loses the greatest number of soldiers on any given day in history.
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
film directed by William Boyd
William Boyd (writer)
William Boyd, CBE is a Scottish novelist and screenwriter.-Biography:Of Scottish descent, Boyd spent his early life in Ghana and Nigeria, in Africa...
that portrays a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
in the last 48 hours.
Synopsis
The film paints a picture of the soldiers’ emotional experience in the confines of the trenches; an experience running the gamut from boredom to fear, panic to restlessness. Billy MacFarlane (Paul Nicholls), 17, along with his older brother, Eddie (Tam Williams), has volunteered for service. The whole squadSquad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
– basically boys dressed as men – depend on the war-hardened Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Winter (Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
) and the scholarly Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Hart (Julian Rhind-Tutt
Julian Rhind-Tutt
Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt is an English actor. He is best known for his starring role as "Mac" McCartney in the comedy television series Green Wing, the second series of which finished on Channel 4 in May 2006...
) for their survival. When word arrives that the squad will join the first wave of attacks, they do not yet know they will be present when the British Army loses the greatest number of soldiers on any given day in history.
Cast
- Paul Nicholls as Pte. Billy Macfarlane
- Daniel CraigDaniel CraigDaniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
as Sgt. Telford Winter - Julian Rhind-TuttJulian Rhind-TuttJulian Alistair Rhind-Tutt is an English actor. He is best known for his starring role as "Mac" McCartney in the comedy television series Green Wing, the second series of which finished on Channel 4 in May 2006...
as 2Lt. Ellis Harte - Danny DyerDanny DyerDanny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
as LCpl. Victor Dell - James D'ArcyJames D'Arcy-Early life:James D'Arcy was born as Simon D'Arcy and grew up in Fulham, London, with his mother, Caroline and his younger sister Charlotte. His father died when he was young. After completing his education at Christ's Hospital in 1991, he went to Australia for a year and worked in the drama...
as Pte. Colin Daventry - Tam Williams as Pte. Eddie Macfarlane
- Anthony Strachan as Pte. Horace Beckwith
- Michael Moreland as Pte. George Hogg
- Adrian LukisAdrian LukisAdrian Lukis, born in 1958 in Birmingham, is an actor who has appeared regularly in British television drama since the late 1980s. He trained at Drama Studio London...
as Lt. Col. Villiers - Ciarán McMenaminCiarán McMenaminCiarán McMenamin is an Irish actor who is now living in South London. He is best known for playing Matt Anderson, replacing Jason Flemyng as lead on Primeval.- Early life :...
as Pte. Charlie Ambrose - Cillian MurphyCillian MurphyCillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles and distinctive blue eyes and general sex appeal....
as Pte. Rag Rookwood - John HigginsJohn HigginsJohn Higgins MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player and the reigning World Champion. With four world titles in all he is fourth overall in the modern era, behind Stephen Hendry , Steve Davis and Ray Reardon...
as Pte. Cornwallis - Ben WhishawBen WhishawBenjamin John "Ben" Whishaw is an English actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Whishaw is perhaps best known for his breakthrough role as Hamlet, and his role as the lead character in Tom Tykwer's film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.-Early life:Whishaw was born and raised in...
as Pte. James Deamis - Tim Murphy as Pte. Bone
- Danny NuttDanny NuttDanny Nutt is a former college football assistant coach, who now serves as the Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at Ole Miss...
as Pte. Dieter Zimmermann