THE TRENCH aka LA TRANCHeE

Year: 1999
USA: Somme Productions
UK: Entertainment Film Distributors
Cast: Paul Nicholls, Daniel Craig, Tam Williams, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Danny Dyer, James D'Arcy, Anthony Strachan, Ciaran McMenamin, Charles Cartmell, John Higgins, Adrian Lukis, Michael Moreland, Tom Mullion, Cillian Murphy, Tim Murphy, Danny Nutt, Jenny Pickering, Ben Wishaw
Director: William Boyd
Countries: France / UK
USA: 100 mins
UK: 98 mins
UK Certificate: 15
USA Release Date: 22 November 2000
UK Release Date: 17 September 1999

Synopsis

Mostly shot in the trenches that epitomised the First World War this drama plots the last 48 hours to the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The trauma that is inflicted on a group of young boys facing this bleak existence is portrayed particularly through two brothers, Eddie Macfarlane (Tam Williams) and younger brother Billy (Paul Nicholls) who's only 17 and enlisted to be with his brother. Hit by a sniper's bullet Eddie is sent back to Britain leaving his younger brother Billy to face the tragic and awesome Battle of the Somme that was to follow that left so many dead and took its place in history.