The Trench

Lance Corporal Dell shows the platoon his collection of softcore pornography to lighten the mood before battle. Private Billy MacFarlane remarks that one of the girls looks familiar to him. Sergeant Winter breaks up the moment and the tension begins to mount as the day progresses.

Sergeant Winter is summoned to speak with Lieutenant Harte and share the plan for the impending assault. Harte informs the platoon they will go over in the third wave, carrying supplies in relative safety. The briefing underscores the looming danger while aiming to steady the men's nerves.

During the night watch, Eddie is rebuked by Winter for peering through a hole in the trench. When he finishes his watch, Billy presses him about the familiar girl in the photo. Billy convinces himself the girl might be Maria who worked at the Post Office.

In the morning, the platoon is summoned to the ready with anticipation of the attack. Eddie again looks through the hole and witnesses a moment of peace before being shot in the jaw and neck. Billy watches in horror as Eddie is carried away on a stretcher.

A Colonel and the Public Affairs division stage a motivational scene, claiming the forthcoming battle will be easy because the Germans have been bombarded. The speech lands awkwardly and the men are urged to cheer. Daventry mutters his doubt, prompting Winter to rebuke him for disrespect.

After a pair of privates is sent on an errand, Billy discovers their fragmented remains, traumatized by the sight of the shell damage. He returns to Winter and Harte, shaken by the brutality of what he’s seen. The moment emphasizes the horror awaiting them in the assault.

During a meal, Harte informs Winter that their captain has ordered a night patrol to bomb the German trench and review defenses. Winter selects Private Beckwith for the mission, and they successfully breach the trench and capture a fleeing German soldier. Beckwith notes the Germans appear to be singing, hinting at their morale.

On the morning of the attack, Harte warns that another platoon has gone missing, making the first wave crucial. Winter sends Dell to retrieve the rum, but Dell drops the bottle in shock after seeing a wounded man. He drinks heavily before a shell knocks him down and he later returns to Winter drunk.

Winter asks Harte to relinquish his personal whisky for the men, but Harte refuses. As the line forms, the lieutenant relents and serves them all a share. MacFarlane speaks up about fear of going over the top, and Winter reassures him that he looks like the type who will make it, echoing a fragile courage.

When the men finally go over the top, Winter is immediately shot in the leg but hides it as he helps MacFarlane out of the trench. He is shot several more times and collapses, his body pinned to MacFarlane as they press forward into the war's chaos.

As the platoon advances, Winter is hit again and falls onto MacFarlane, pinning him momentarily. MacFarlane struggles to free himself from the trench and continue the move across no man's land, the bombardment and confusion swallowing their chance of safety.

The assault descends into a brutal melee as men fall in quick succession. MacFarlane, fighting to push forward, is wounded and dies amid the chaotic advance, leaving a haunting image of the price paid for the day’s campaign.