Paths of Glory (1957)

Pro-War movie with heart

Just now got to watching this oldie Pro-War movie of the 50s. It wasn't as good as I had heard, but the pro-war stance makes me want to go back to serve. Kirk's colonel Dax makes all officers proud of wartime service. Enlisted soldiers all could do much worse than Dax. You can tell he cares so much for this men, that it almost physically hurts him to follow through with absurd orders from up top. While this movie showcases the sometime ridiculous choices higher ups make in the name of wartime offense, it also more than makes up for it by making Dax the hero that populates the armoed forces.

This Pro-War movie of the 50s is labled as antiw-war, but there is no hiding the values and honorable service of the soldiers and officers portrayed in the movie. While it does give little screen time to the generals in the back, the real story highlightes the selfless, duty-bound service of the troops in the trenches. The 3 unlucky soldiers who get randomly picked to make up for the failed attack, are the usual sympathetic duty-bound conscripts of the time. They all don't like being there, but they are because of their patriotism and love for their country. Even if this is France, that country can be pround it had people like Dax and the 3 who are eventually punished. The pro-war aspect of this movie makes it all the more gung-hoie. Duty, honor, and comraderie are the top themes highlighted in this feature. I especially liked Dax's committment to his men and to the chain of command. He does an excellent job of following the rules and still coming out on top and alive. Overall, one of the greats of the PRO-WAR movie of the 50s. Worth a look, at least once, to showcase patriotism and duty to country. June 23, 2008

Classic Anti-War Movie

This is an absorbing anti-war movie about the French army on the Western Front in WWI. There are moments of complete brilliance. The shot of Kirk Douglas as the attacking French colonel walking the length of the trench before going "over the top" and the reactions of his regiment as he passes them is one of the best and most moving pieces of film making I've ever seen. The firing squad scene and the bar scene at the end of the movie are also simply perfect.

Douglas is excellent in his role, as is the supporting cast.

I deduct one star for the lack of subtlety in portraying the French generals. Yes, generals in WWI were out of touch and were even criminally negligent in their tactics. But Kubrick does not attempt to portray the generals' point of view as having any legitimacy.

The film is shot in black & white, which captures the dirt and lack of romance of the battles fought at the time.

I highly recommend this great film. May 23, 2008

a visual anti-war parable

A film with a strong message requires a skillful presentation in order not to become overbearing. Paths of Glory, while having a strong anti-war theme, rises to the top due to the exceptional photography, editing, and straightforward narrative structure coupled with the tension that arises from social injustice and poor leadership. Kubrick treats the story as a parable, allow us to see a range of actions under a shared experience. We see front line solders at their best and worst and we also see the French officers under similar but a bit more sophisticated situations.

Paths of Glory is probably based on an event in World War I during the French Nivelle Offensive whereby the men on the front lines were pushed to remain on the offensive and overtake points of no strategic worth while losing considerable lives. The offensive objective here is tellingly called "The Ant Hill". The men refused to attack but remained on the offensive in the trenches. The French officers fired thier artillery upon their own men. This incredible historic event lays the groundwork for this fictitious film.

Wisely the film narrows down the number of characters to basic types and individual concerns and conflicts. Thus we have careerist incompetent leadership negligently wasting the lives of their men on poorly developed plans and objectives. The film is tragic in that after the men refused to attack, men were selected at random to be executed for cowardice and executed before the troops as examples and to encourage more enthusiasm in the future.

Kirk Douglas plays the moral center for the film, playing Colonel Dax, a public prosecutor who joined the army. He defends the three men selected to represent the troops in a military judicial kangaroo court. Douglas is in top form and top shape. His performance is powerful and made more powerful by the subtle performances of his canny superior officers and the simple basic emotional responses of the men under his command.

Kubrick's film-making is superb and the careful photography of interiors reveals his early mastery of this art form. Kubrick recognized the ability of the context of action to cradle the narrative and give added dimension. Thus his shots of the trenches with long twisting tracking shots give one of the best impressions of World War I front line. The scenes of the court martial are high drama, revealing a stage with all the high drama of Greek tragedy. The execution scene is perfectly developed, revealing how the symetry of the troops in a geometric courtyard contrasts against the injustice that is about to occur. The scene of a captured German girl singing in a cafe is a bit overplayed but makes its point about the amazing manner in which men can be swayed from wrong to right and back again for in the end we are vastly limited. May 17, 2008

Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Timothy Carey--all turn in excellent performances

The film itself, however, should have been better and left the viewer with a far more powerful impact--considering the subject matter.
We have seen this type of subject matter handled much better by other directors.

To me, this is really further proof that Kubrick was/is vastly overrated. May 8, 2008

Stanley Kubrick is King

This superb anti-war film, reminds me of an old quote that said, "The men who say 'we must go to war,' will never be the same men who fight them." And this film, it is not a critique of any one government, but of the government and war altogether. It is in this nature that Path of Glory reveals itself to be one of the greatest anti-war films of the century, a film that should be mandatory for every person who thinks war is a great first option to view, before they start their marches against these, "Stupid Hippies." May 4, 2008

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