"Paths of Glory" is an excellent anti-war film that dramatizes the enormous gap between the enlisted men who do the fighting and the officers who take the credit. "Paths of Glory" was banned in France for many years, but the story, based on a true incident, is timeless and can apply to any military or political situation.
The setting is France in 1916. World War I has
dragged on for two years, and become a stalemate
of fortified trenches and heavy casualties.
Commander Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) asks General
Mireau (George Macready) to have his decimated
division take the "Ant Hill", an impregnable
fortress, promising Mireau a promotion if he
succeeds.
Mireau orders Lieutenant Dax (Kirk Douglas) to
carry out the mission, which is a complete
failure with heavy casualties. To place blame
elsewhere, Mireau then orders the court martial
for cowardice (under penalty of execution) of
three arbitrarily chosen soldiers (Ralph Meeker,
Joseph Turkel and Timothy Carey). Douglas is
perfectly cast for the role. He seethes with
indignation throughout. Emile Meyer gives an
excellent performance as a priest. Macready,
whose character is a pompous jerk, is also
excellent. There are only a few battle scenes,
but they are well done.
"Paths of Glory" isn't perfect. Bert Freed's
alcoholic sergeant character is a bit muddled.
The three unlucky soldiers show extreme
cowardness and bitterness prior to their
execution, especially pathetically sobbing Carey.
And perhaps the depiction of military brass as
cynical, ambitious and self-serving is a little
overdone.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, "Paths of Glory" was
not a box office success, and was not nominated
for any Academy Awards. Kubrick and Douglas
teamed up again three years later for
"Spartacus", an inferior but much more successful
film. Kubrick would make another anti-war film,
"Full Metal Jacket", thirty years later. (82/100)
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