Paths of Glory

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Paths of Glory

1957

1h 26m

War

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

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78 Reviews

95%

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25,000+ Ratings

During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his subordinate, General Mireau (George Macready), to attack a German trench position, offering a promotion as an incentive. Though the mission is foolhardy to the point of suicide, Mireau commands his own subordinate, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), to plan the attack. When it ends in disaster, General Mireau demands the court-martial of three random soldiers in order to save face.

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Critics Consensus

Paths of Glory is a transcendentally humane war movie from Stanley Kubrick, with impressive, protracted battle sequences and a knock-out ending.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Mar 1, 2024

5/5

The director Stanley Kubrick and the producer-star Kirk Douglas anticipated the countercultural energy of the 1960s with this angry anti-war parable.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Feb 19, 2024

...the real enemy here is the French officer class who, from their opulently appointed chateau, use infantry as pawns in pursuit of personal promotion and in covering up of their own highly consequential failures.

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

Jun 2, 2015

4/5

Those who are used to 2001: A Space Odyssey or A Clockwork Orange will initially find this black-and-white First World War drama starring Kirk Douglas rather traditional, until its radical content is revealed.

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Pat Padua

Washington City Paper

May 5, 2026

A taut 88-minute drama of meaningless brutality, managerial ineptitude, and gross injustice.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Mar 12, 2024

Paths of Glory was too sobering to be a popular success, but it established Kubrick as a leading director.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sep 25, 2022

4/4

Arguably the greatest antiwar film ever made, Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory feels like a mule kick to the stomach no matter how many times one has seen it (in my case, too many to recall).

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Adelay C

@27adeco Aug 26, 2026

I honestly expected more depth and complexity from this film, but it made its point perfectly clear in a very blunt manner. The senseless execution of the three men surprised me in its simplicity- a part of me expected them to be let off. Kirk Douglas is also very good as Colonel Dax!

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Dani G

@RT81139271 Aug 1, 2026

A very simple but efficient way of criticizing the foolishness that is war

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Joaquin U

@Joaquin1 Jul 28, 2026

Entertaining. Solid cast, led by Douglas, delivering a strong performance—backed by notable photography and a tight script. An early Kubrick effort, already showing his remarkable talent as a director, with a theme familiar to him: exposing the brutality, stupidity, and false heroics of war. Still, while it’s a good movie, it’s not a great one. The pacing drags, and it feels unemotional, as if the story was approached a bit too intellectually. Very watchable, though.

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Mike M

@RT75905494 Jul 17, 2026

Hands down, Stanley Kubrick's finest film (and yes, I give Space Odyssey five stars as well). In my experience as a film student (Temple U) and a one-time film critic (in Philly 'alternative newspaper' in the 70s) and just as a movie lover, I feel that this is both the best war movie and the best anti-war movie ever made. It really is a must-see.

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Chris W

@chriswerner83 Jul 16, 2026

Excellent filming style. Great acting. Feels like a pleasure just watching this.

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Alejandro E

@Alex970 Jul 10, 2026

Directed by a then-debutant Stanley Kubrick, this war drama based on real events was one of the first to break with convention, functioning more as an anti-war statement, with an outstanding performance by Kirk Douglas.

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

Kirk Douglas

Col. Dax

Ralph Meeker

Cpl. Philip Paris

Adolphe Menjou

Gen. George Broulard

George Macready

Gen. Paul Mireau

Wayne Morris

Lt. Roget

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - The Execution

1:48

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Your Men Died Very Well

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Maintaining Discipline

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Closing Argument

1:59

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - They're Going to Kill Us

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - A Controversial Order

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - The Faithful Hussar

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Charging the Ant Hill

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - A Stroll Through the Trenches

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Paths of Glory: Official Clip - We'll Take the Ant Hill

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Synopsis

During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his subordinate, General Mireau (George Macready), to attack a German trench position, offering a promotion as an incentive. Though the mission is foolhardy to the point of suicide, Mireau commands his own subordinate, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), to plan the attack. When it ends in disaster, General Mireau demands the court-martial of three random soldiers in order to save face.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Kirk Douglas, James B. Harris
Screenwriter: Humphrey Cobb, Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson
Distributor: Criterion Collection, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Bryna Productions
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 26m
Sound Mix: Mono, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1), 35mm

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