War Game

War Game is a 2001 animated short film made by the British animation company Illuminated Films, and based on the Michael Foreman novel of the same name. The film included many of the same scenes listed in the book, although four new characters were created. In the short, the boys, are out playing a game of football when they hear about England declaring war on Germany. As in All Quiet on the Western Front, the boys waste no time in enlisting in the army. Later that night, Will and Lacey tell their parents and Annie of the great news. While Dad wishes them well, and Annie is sobbing for Lacey, Mum tells her boys that war is not a game, and that they will be killed. But regardless, the boys leave for France, where they encounter hardships of the trenches, shooting competitions with the Germans, and bully beef. On Christmas Day, a German soldier walks onto the battleground and invites the English soldiers to a football match. However, the match is broken up by the commanding officers, and the soldiers return to their trenches. That evening the soldiers go over the top and are cut down by artillery and machine gun fire. Lacey, Freddy, and Billy are killed instantaneously.