THE TRENCH
UK, 1999, 98 minutes, Colour.
Paul Nichols, Daniel Craig.
Directed by William Boyd.
The Trench is a William Boyd film, written and directed by the novelist who wrote such novels as Stars and Bars, A Good Man in Africa. Boyd re-creates a day and a half in the trenches in northern France, in the Valley of the Somme, at the end of June, beginning of July 1916. The film is generally confined to the trench itself, focusing on a small group of men (very young and volunteers) who are uncertain about the nature of the war and the battle they are about to fight in. They bring their inexperience, immaturity to the interactions in the trench. The action is focused on a young man played by Paul Nichols and a sergeant played by Danny Dyer. There are glimpses only of officers.
While the film shows in detail the life in the trench, it also highlights many of the themes of World War I as portrayed in such films as Paths of Glory, King and Country, Gallipoli, Regeneration.
The film ends with the soldiers going over the top into battle and, in a way very similar to Gallipoli, ends with a freeze-frame.
1.The work of William Boyd, novel writing, film directing? His sensitivity to the issues, characters, interactions?
2.Memories of World War I, the cinema tradition, the trenches, the battles, the massacres and needless slaughter, the indecision of officers and bad decisions? The trauma of war?
3.The title and its focus, contained within the trench itself apart from the ending? The trench a symbol of World War I: its physical detail, size, summer, the confines, the paths and labyrinth, eating and sleeping, urinating, fighting, the snipers and the lookouts...?
4.A portrait of men in the trenches: men together, friendships and clashes, closely confined, the boredom, the talk, the salacious photos, the stories and memories, the irritations, the Sergeant and his keeping up of morale and discipline, the officer and his standards - and inexperience? The dangers, lookouts, snipers, injury and death? Bombs exploding? The young men, volunteers, having to cope? The meticulous detail of life in the trench?
5.The war and its bombardment, the noise and shattering of five days? The uncertainty as to outcome? Information and lack of information? Orders and the interventions of the officer, the changed orders, the lack of information for the orders? Snipers, explosions, injury and pain?
6.The men as volunteers, their dreams of the army, patriotism? Their view of the war, its purpose? The number of deaths in 1914 and the memories in 1916? The growing reality of the war?
7.The picture of the officer, coming to be photographed with the men, the patriotic stances - and yet so much of the filming and the comment seeming foolish?
8.Billy as the focus, his age, innocence and ignorance, his following Eddie into the war, Eddie and his injury to his face? The photos and the recognition of Maria from the post office? His taking the photo and its importance to him before going over the top? His grief and his reaction? The Sergeant and his friendship, talking, morale? On watch? His reactions to the other young men, response? His fears, thoughts about dying, going over the top? The audience sharing his perspective on the war?
9.The Sergeant and his having seen action, the regular army, his wife and children? His being older than the young men, with them, stern, orders - yet friendship and protection? With Horace and going on patrol, the skills in knowing how to survive? With each of the young men, with the officer, sending the man for the rum and his drinking it, persuading the officer to give the whisky? With Billy and the final talks? His wanting to help Billy - and his death?
10.Horace and his size, friendship with Hogg, engaged to Amy, the discussions about the engagement and Hogg's irritation? His gung-ho attitude and wanting to kill Germans? Loyalty to officers, the photo? Going out on the patrol and succeeding? Bringing in the German prisoner? His animosity towards the Germans? His injuries and death?
11.Daventry and his cynical stance, informed, his being reprimanded? His interaction with the prisoner and speaking German? His death?
12.The German prisoner, his age, inexperience, language, grateful for the cigarettes, the interactions with the young men? The glimpse of the Germans and what was happening in the German trenches?
13.Del, cheeky, the photos and his bravado, his anger, going for the rum, drinking it, its being shattered, his fears, going over the top and his death?
14.The glimpse of the other men, Dennis and his offers of friendship, service to the officer?
15.The officer, his background, inexperience, being above the men, having a servant, his meals, the discussions with the Sergeant, his hopes to grow cotton in South Africa, his drinking, unwillingness to give the whisky, finally doing so, his death?
16.An overall picture of a microcosm of World War I? Seen from the perspective of 80 years later?
