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PATHS OF GLORY (2010 Criterion Blu-ray, originally 1957)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
It is the First World War. The French have dug into trenches, 500 miles long, from the English Channel to the border of Switzerland. As the film’s intro eloquently states, victories are counted in hundreds of yards gained, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of men. This is the setting of Paths of Glory, certainly and easily one of the greatest war movies of all time.
Paths of Glory, one of several Stanley Kubrick masterpieces, contains some of the most realistic First World War battle scenes ever put to film. The landscape is a cratered no-man’s land of mud, wire and bodies. The desperation is captured beautifully. The references to “shell shock” are historically accurate (it was considered to be a mythical condition by the generals of the day).
Kirk Douglas is Col. Dax, once a lawyer in his old life, now ordered to take the “Anthill”. It’s a fortified position that German forces have held for a year. Now the French intend to take it and keep it. All they have to do this with is tired and worn out men. Dax doesn’t think it can be done, but cannot disobey an order. The only alternative for him would have been to be relieved of duty, and Dax won’t abandon his men when they need him.
General Mireaux, his ambition clouding his judgment, set up an impossible undertaking. As is inevitable, the man are slaughtered, not even able to clear their own barbed wire. The few survivors were forced back by more guns and shells. A humiliated and embarrassed General Mireaux then orders his artillery to fire on his own trenches (that should keep them from retreating to them, right?) When that order is refused, he decides to charge them for cowardice in the face of enemy. After all, someone must take the blame for this failure, and why should it be an officer? Col. Dax returns to his role of a lawyer and defends the three token men chosen at random to face the charges of cowardice. Then, the movie morphs into courtroom drama.
Paths of Glory paints a picture of the way it was, based loosely on the practice of executing men for cowardice before they “infect” the rest of the men with it. It’s not a pretty picture. The trenches in the film are perhaps drier than the real trenches but the landscapes look very real indeed. Kubrick’s style here was still that of an observer, which came from his years as a newspaper photographer. He places his lenses where an observer would sit, and you can watch the events unfold like a fly on the wall.
Kirk Douglas is joined by Kubrick regulars Timothy Carey (two Kubrick films to his name), Joe Turkel (three Kubrick films) as well as Adolphe Menjou and a very young Christiane Kubrick.
The story itself is a heart wrenching look at the realities of First World War Europe, and also the human spirit. It attacks our prejudices and practices while reminding us that we are all the same regardless of our station in life. Kubrick seems to have been both fascinated by war while being repulsed by its necessity.
This being such an historically important film, I am glad that it finally received the Criterion treatment. The restoration is very well done compared to the original DVD edition. The audio is in mono just as the original film was. I appreciate that nobody tried to tinker with the audio to make it multi-channel. This is the way Kubrick made it. Supplemental features are here including audio commentary, an essay, and a fun interview with Kirk Douglas from the 1970’s, among numerous others.
This is absolutely necessary for any fans of real war films and Stanley Kubrick. Hopefully this ushers in a set of brand new Kubrick Criterion editions. I bought two copies; the second was for my dad.
5/5 stars
Kirk Douglas … Col. Dax
Ralph Meeker … Cpl. Philippe Paris
Adolphe Menjou … Gen. George Broulard
George Macready … Gen. Paul Mireau
Wayne Morris … Lt. Roget
Richard Anderson … Maj. Saint-Auban
Joe Turkel … Pvt. Pierre Arnaud
mikeladano.com 
A very good review, Mike. I personally think this is the best film Kubrick made, although Dr. Strangelove is in a class of it’s own. I am not a Kirk Douglas fan but he was very good in this film.
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I know you are not a fan of Kirk Douglas. I love his shout-acting. He doesn’t shout-act a lot in Paths of Glory, but he does get to do it towards the end.
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I saw this film years ago (not Criterion) on TV at my grandparents’ house. They were involved in WWII, not WWI, but it was heavy enough, lemme tell ya. Your write-up makes me think I need to see it again, Kubrick got it right more often than not. I’m not so big on courtroom drama, but it is what it is. Aaaaand… yep, my library has a copy. Requesting it now. Thanks!
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It is on TV a few times a year and I still stop and watch it, even though I own it.
Not a fan of courtroom dramas? At all? Not even My Cousin Vinny? I’ve liked that movie since I was a yout.
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If I had a TV, I would probably stop and watch it, too.
Court room dramas do not interest me in the slightest, usually. I dunno, it’s sort of the cinematic equivalent to watching paint dry.
I see what you did there, with the My Cousin Vinny. Don’t think I ever saw that one all the way through.
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I liked it a lot. I own a few courtroom dramas — 12 Angry Men, Vinny, this one, and there was even an old Star Trek that was a courtroom episode. I can’t recall the name right this moment. Scott? Anyone? Anyway Elisha Cook Jr. played Kirk’s lawyer and it was a fantastic episode.
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Yeah I dunno. I just find myself bored, watching those courtroom things. Yawwwn.
I imagine that if I went and looked at my DVDs, none of them would have a courtroom as a main setting. But there would be lots and lots of ninjas and samurai. And Statham.
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I do know that you have a fair share of movies that have a lot of asses being kicked. In the ass.
Hey, it’s all personal taste. I recall you and I had diametrically opposed feelings on the movie A Serious Man.
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Oh yes, there is much kicking of the asses in my DVD collection. I’d never do it to anybody in real life, so I live vicariously through the movies.
A Serious Man? I had feelings about that movie? Clearly I have forgotten. I had to Wiki it to even recall what it was. And then I went, ah yes, Colin Firth. I sat through that one for my lovely wife.
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I had seen it and raved about it and you told me you were bored to tears. Heh! But again, that’s why they make different coloured neckties, as they say!
One more example of an issue we have completely opposite feelings on: SHIT FLOWERS!
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Well I’ll tell you what. You can have all the courtroom dramas and boring Firth movies and mushrooms all to yourself. Gotta be something I like that you don’t. We ever establish that?
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I’m not sure actually. I’m sure there’s plenty.
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Challenge accepted! :)
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If I were Scott I’d say “Slooooaaaan”…
Actually there are a few mid-period Sloan albums that never grabbed me like they did you. I really only got back on board with their latest one, Double Cross. But I know you really liked that one with like 30 songs on it.
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Was it this one?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708425/
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Well, that makes sense. It was called Court Martial. Logical, as Spock would say.
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And it’s me, FTW!
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Ooo yeah, Never Hear The End Of It. Fantastic record, blew me away on first spin. Was my Album Of The Year that year, too.
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I am actually surprised I haven’t seen this yet, being fan of the genre and also a Blackadder fan. I also like Kubrick and his take on, well his anti-take on war.
Have you ever seen the Bedford Incident? Worth looking up if you haven’t, even more worth seeing. The Producer of this film directed it.
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I have not seen it nor heard of it before now. However I will definitely put it on a watch list!
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Excellent review. I don’t know how I’ve missed seeing this movie over the years. Appreciate the reminder with this fabulous review.
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