The Trench is a 1999 war film written and directed by William Boyd and starring Paul Nicholls and Daniel Craig.

In the days leading up to the Battle of the Somme, lance corporal Dell shows the platoon his collection of softcore pornography.

Relenting, he sees and describes a scene of relative peace and beauty before being shot in the jaw and neck.

During a meal, Harte informs Winter that their captain has ordered them to issue a night patrol to bomb the German trench and review the status of their defenses.

Winter chooses Private Beckwith, and the two successfully bomb the trench and capture a German soldier fleeing their attack.

When the men finally do go over the top, Winter is immediately shot in the leg but tries to hide it as he helps MacFarlane out of the trench.

As the men advance across no man's land, they gradually begin to fall, ending with MacFarlane being shot himself.

Variety described the emotional buildup to the final scene as having a "devastatingly hollow note",[4] while the New York Times appreciated its subtle characterization of the platoon as "naive" in the face of a "demonized" enemy.