Salute the sacrifice of First World War soldiers with this wonderfully acted and sobering account of comradeship in the trenches.

A hundred years after the events, this fifth film adaptation of Simon Reade’s play is far from revolutionary. However the attention to detail is so good you can almost smell the trench foot, mustard gas and dead rats.

We bunker down in the cramped wooden mess of the officers of ‘C’ company, presumably so the camera doesn’t get wet outside along with the rank and file.

Ahead of a new German offensive and barely 60 yards from the enemy guns, Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin and Paul Bettany are some of the posh actors trying to survive.  

In this earnest expression of horror and fear, it’s not just the nerves which are shot to pieces.

There’s much stiff upper lip talk of putting on a good show. And this very fine British film certainly does just that.