June 1916. The British Army is planning a big offensive in the Somme region in France. We follow a platoon of British soldiers as they sit in a forward trench, anxiously awaiting the order to go over the top. The offensive has been postponed a few times, leaving them even more frayed and restless.
Good depiction of war at a small unit and individual level. There's not much action, which makes it even more chilling as this is how it is: several days, weeks even without anything happening and then the horror of combat. For the most part the soldiers are just sitting around, waiting for the battle to begin.
There are a few harsh reminders that death is ever present, even when seemingly safe in a trench in your own lines, so it's not all idleness. This downtime is also used to help the character development, illustrate what was going through soldiers' minds in the build-up to a big battle and generally ratchet up the tension.
This extended downtime does also cause the film to drag somewhat. Appreciated what writer-director William Boyd was trying to do but some parts are a bit tedious. There's also an inevitability and predictability to proceedings.
Can't fault the final scene though: brings everything home in emphatic fashion.
Good depiction of war at a small unit and individual level. There's not much action, which makes it even more chilling as this is how it is: several days, weeks even without anything happening and then the horror of combat. For the most part the soldiers are just sitting around, waiting for the battle to begin.
There are a few harsh reminders that death is ever present, even when seemingly safe in a trench in your own lines, so it's not all idleness. This downtime is also used to help the character development, illustrate what was going through soldiers' minds in the build-up to a big battle and generally ratchet up the tension.
This extended downtime does also cause the film to drag somewhat. Appreciated what writer-director William Boyd was trying to do but some parts are a bit tedious. There's also an inevitability and predictability to proceedings.
Can't fault the final scene though: brings everything home in emphatic fashion.