Paths of Glory (1957)

the audience applauded

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Awesome Movie

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Stanley Kubrick's potent anti-war classic comes down super hard on the intrinsic cruelty and unfairness of the bleakly efficient military machine in which the arrogant top brass are more concerned about enhancing their lofty statuses and saving face with the public than they care about the grim plight of the hapless common foot soldiers who are sent to certain deaths by being forced to carry out mpossible missions for the sake of said top brass's own overinflated egos and self-advancement within the ranks: One can't help but feel infuriated when the ruthlessly ambitious General Paul Mireau (a marvelously haughty portrayal by George Macready) orders his own men to be shot when they fail to follow through with taking a heavily fortified area. Indeed, Kubrick astutely captures not only the brutality of war, but also the frequent absurdity and futility of same in both the harrowing combat scenes and at the shattering climax in which three innocent men are executed just so those in charge can prevent themselves from feeling disgraced. Kirk Douglas contributes a wonderfully impassioned performance as the idealistic Colonel Dax, who makes a game, albeit fruitless attempt to defend several men under his command when they are brought up on charges of cowardice. Moreover, there are strong contributions from Ralph Meeker as the sarcastic Corporal Philippe Paris, Adolphe Menjou as the smug and calculating General George Broulard, Wayne Morris as craven drunk Lt. Roget, Richard Anderson as hard-nosed prosecutor Major Saint-Auban, Joe Turkel as the noble Private Pierre Arnaud, and Timothy Carey as sniveling undesirable Private Maurice Ferol. Kudos are also in order for Gerald Fried's rousing score and Georg Krause's beautifully fluid black and white cinematography. Essential viewing.

Kubrick is a real connoisseur, a genuine masterclass. Just think about the execution level of this movie, with the presence of tension and emotion, how skillfully he shifted the essence of the story-line from the war zone to the trial scene. How gifted and talented Kubrick was in his early days!! The movie has only 85 minutes of running time. But considering the short span of time, the whole movie was quite intense and engaging. The script was excellent, the story-line was brief and concise and the whole casting ensemble was marvelous. The best thing about the movie was, the singing from the German girl at the end sequence. How brilliantly it changed the tone of the whole movie from a War movie to an Anti-War. This is Magic of Kubrick. Hats off!!!

What could I possibly add to the culture or knowledge of this film? To me, on certain days, this is Kubrick's finest achievement. Without a doubt this is the most impactful anti-war film ever produced. Kubrick i employs an unwaveringly documentarian approach in recounting this fictionalized amalgam of what could have been any battle on the Western Front. Portraying the ruthless mundanity and senseless destruction of human life in those trenches is done so effectively that he's succeeded in making such an abhorrent level of violence seem routine. You accept it as a norm. Something that we should never let it become. But we have , we have to in order to devote full and complete attention to the mental insanity that is unfolding in the upper ranks of France's military-industrial complex. A Dance of Death is unfolding over the failure of yet another Offensive. Heads must roll. Three enlisted men are essentially randomly selected for summary execution before a Firing Squad. During the battle and desperate to make good on his predictions for a glorious French victory over the hated Huns, an order is issued to the French artillery gunners .Confused, the targeting Corporal requests confirmation of the coordinates. Surely this must be an error. These numbers would put all of our largest shells right on top of our own French positions!! Timothy Carey plays one of the three enlisted men. Pvt. Maurice Ferol. The man was born to play this role. Carey's delivery is the most devastating Supporting Actor performance I've ever witnessed on the big screen. I'm neither kidding you nor am I exaggerating. Tell me if I'm wrong, go ahead and tell me.

PATHS OF GLORY is an anti-war film based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb. This is a shocking film, which is inspired by real events, about the shameful incident on the Western Front in the First World War. We've seen the terrifying battleground in the grip of corruption and cynicism.Kubrick's style became known after this film. Extremely long shots emphasize the importance of a particular scene, a part of the story or some locations. Black and white photography goes well with the atmosphere and themes in the film. The dark tones, night scenes and human expression provoke strong feelings of anxiety.The story begins with the agony that goes into the public injustice and ends with the tragedy. One general, on the suggestion of his superior, sent his division across the no man's land in a suicide assault that is bloodily rejected. Three soldiers must pay with their lives for alleged cowardice. However, their colonel reasonably rebelled.... The story of human intrigue, courage and fear of soldiers is honest, direct and explicit. Scenery, referring to the cold, wet and bloody trenches, is amazingly convincing.Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax is a passionate idealist. However, he is only one link in the chain of orders. His character is not a rebel. This is a natural reaction to the apparent injustice. Adolphe Menjou as Major General Georges Broulard is the embodiment of a cunning and ruthless war policy. George Macready as Brigadier General Paul Mireau is a kind of a grotesque. A vindictive character, who is a slave of his own ego.The end of the film is somewhat cathartic. The soldiers revive forgotten feelings in inhumane conditions of war.The future is pessimistic, but the struggle for humanity is visible. War is hell, and it is part of one's everyday life. Rotten people survived the war. The innocent are dying. Nothing changes.Mr. Kubrick is a true master.