Adapting Humphrey Cobb's novel to the screen, director Stanley Kubrick and his collaborators Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson set out to make a devastating anti-war statement, and they succeeded above and beyond the call of duty. In the third year of World War I, the erudite but morally bankrupt French general Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his troops to seize the heavily fortified "Ant Hill" from the Germans. General Mireau (George MacReady) knows that this action will be suicidal, but he
will sacrfice his men to enhance his own reputation. Against his better judgment, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads the charge, and the results are appalling. When, after witnessing the slaughter of their comrades, a handful of the French troops refuse to leave the trenches, Mireau very nearly orders the artillery to fire on his own men. Still smarting from the defeat, Mireau cannot admit to himself that the attack was a bad idea from the outset: he convinces himself that loss of Ant Hill was due to the cowardice of his men. Mireau demands that three soldiers be selected by lot to be executed as an example to rest of the troops. Acting as defense attorney, Colonel Dax pleads eloquently for the lives of the unfortunate three, but their fate is a done deal. Even an eleventh-hour piece of evidence proving Mireau's incompetence is ignored by the smirking Broulard, who is only interested in putting on a show of bravado. A failure when first released (it was banned outright in France for several years), Paths of Glory has since taken its place in the pantheon of classic war movies, its message growing only more pertinent and potent with each passing year (it was especially popular during the Vietnam era). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This masterpiece still packs a wallop, though nothing in it is as simple as it may first appear; audiences are still arguing about the final sequence, which has been characterized as everything from a sentimental cop-out to the ultimate cynical twist.
Both a terrifying, grim look at battle and an excruciatingly tense courtroom thriller. Together, it's a devastating indictment of war as conducted by opportunists and liars.
Stanley Kubrick often spoke out against war in his film, using violence as a weapon against the audience's sensibilities. Never was he more convincing as here.
The final scene, in which Kubrick presents close-ups of soldiers watching a captured German girl being forced to sing for their pleasure is nothing short of masterful.
Working with a big budget for the first time, Kubrick superbly marshals the battle scenes. But the behind-the-scenes military wrangling seems so regimented and preordained that there's not much left to respond to.
I know Paths of Glory is a beloved classic, and yes, it features the masterful Kubrickian technique we've all come to love, but aside from the two standout final scenes, it's hard to get past Kirk Douglas' scene chewing. Call me crazy, but I don't buy him as a French Colonel -- surely some attempt (from anyone) to
avoid using colloquial English, with American accents and attitudes, while studiously making it look as much as possible like a document of the French Army in World War I would have helped. But, then again, I don't buy Douglas a good actor either. He's the king of vanity projects, and this film is no exception.
April 15, 2012
Jonathan Hutchings
Super Reviewer
Despite being known as a bit of a classic Kubrick's anti war film was not a box office hit at the time of release and was actually frowned upon by various European countries for the portrayal of the military and its negative message towards the establishment in general.It is clear to see the moral injustice carried out
which is the films basis and the theme for the anti war message. The fact that men were shot by their own country for petty charges such as 'cowardice' or less shows really how poorly humans treated each other and at this time how life was cheap, high ranking officials grasping for honours by playing war games with real lives at stake. This of course caused the controversy at the time of release amongst military leaders, the truth stings.As a film there isn't much better, there are numerous classic war films of the age and this Kubrick offering is up there with the greats. What is impressive, like 'All Quiet on the Western Front, is the trench/nomans land sequences are highly realistic looking with fantastic camera work, a real work of art showing mud, bomb craters and debris set in a barren misty wasteland scattered with bodies and barb wire.Told from a French point of view of course (WW1 trench warfare against the Germans) but amusingly you wouldn't think it as the cast bare no attempt to sound French with everyone having an American accent, Wayne Morris as the drunken Roget especially with his slightly southern twang, these days that would be more accurate I'm sure. But no one can dispute the quality of the cast line up with a strong headed Douglas leading the way with fire in his eyes as he tries his best to remain civil against a sly heartless Macready who in turn is trying to butter up the quietly cunning Menjou for promotion. There is added entertainment with a surprisingly good portrayal from Carey as one of the doomed soldiers as he displays some dark gallows humour to the whole affair and lets not forget a young Joe Turkel who will later turn up in cult classic 'Blade Runner'.The films message is clear and virtually stated by Douglas during the court martial scene and its spot on. Kubrick's adaptation of the Cobb novel is pinpoint and speaks volumes, the fact the whole story is also based on a true event makes it even more poignant.
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