The Long Day’s Dying

Three British paratroopers are cut off from their unit and forced to operate behind enemy lines. They find safety in a deserted farmhouse and wait for their Sergeant to return. The tension tightens as they realize help may not arrive soon.

Tom is a world-weary veteran, John is an educated thinker who despises war, and Cliff is eager to do his job. They are all highly trained killers who will carry out orders without hesitation. The dynamic among them shapes how they respond to danger and command.

Two German soldiers approach the farmhouse and are shot by the paratroopers. The group then stalks the second attacker, and John delivers a close, brutal kill that sickens him. The violence underscores the moral distance between the soldiers and their enemies.

As they eat, a third German named Helmut speaks English and tries to win their trust. He skillfully manipulates his captors, convincing them to keep him alive while they decide what to do. The trio ultimately keeps Helmut as a prisoner.

The group leaves the farmhouse to locate their Sergeant. They stumble upon a wooded area where they discover their Sergeant dead, his throat cut. The grim discovery confirms their unit has vanished and that survival will be even harder.

While moving through the countryside, they find a farmhouse sheltering three German soldiers. The paratroopers cautiously approach and shoot them, only to find the Germans are already dead. The encounter underscores the cost of every contact with the enemy.

The trio spends the night inside the farmhouse, resting and planning their next move. The quiet allows them to reflect on the war's toll and their own mortality. They resume their march at dawn, determined to reach Allied lines.

They continue their walk back toward the British lines, hoping to rejoin their forces. The journey tests their endurance and their will to survive as they push through uncertain countryside. The edge of war looms as they press on.

A German patrol blocks their path and a fierce fight ensues. All three manage to kill the Germans, but Cliff sustains fatal wounds in the clash. The loss foreshadows the approaching collapse of their mission.

John and Tom reach the frontline with Helmut in tow, hoping to present a captive. Nearby British troops mistake them for a German party and open fire, mortally wounding Tom. The chaos exposes how fragile any escape can be.

John and Helmut take cover in a muddy ditch, exhausted and traumatized. John, delirious, proclaims he is a pacifist and clutches a small skewer he has always carried. British troops open fire again, shooting John dead, leaving Helmut's fate uncertain.