Paths of Glory

Written and Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Paths of Glory dipped into an aspect of war that is not too often explored. This anti-war film is set in 1916 and loosely based on the Battle of Verdun, for a French stronghold; but the film really centers around the dysfunction within the French army. Stanley Kubrick was only 28 years old, with a minimal budget of less than $1 million, when he created his first masterpiece in Paths of Glory.

Paths of Glory takes place during WW1 and begins in the French trenches as they prepare to charge and conquer the "Ant Hill", an impossible mission that is destined for failure. There was a very important scene at the beginning of the film that set the tone for the entire film. When General Mireau tells Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) he must lead his men in this suicidal mission, with no support, Colonel Dax inquires about how many casualties the General anticipates. The General responds "5% killed by our own barrage, 10% going through no man's land, 20% going through the wire, and 25% in actually taking the ant hill."

The German gunfire was just too heavy and the French end up retreating, despite the Generals orders. As you can imagine the General was not happy with this result, so he ends making 3 men stand trial, under penalty of death, for cowardice. He wants to set an example for the whole battalion, but Colonel Dax defends his men and is willing to do anything he can to make sure that this does not happen.

I think it is ironic that the General, who was not in the line of fire, is accusing his own men, who were risking their lives, of cowardice. Instead of being concerned with the Germans, they were spending their time sending their own men to trial, and possibly execution. It was absurd to me that the only person who seemed to be thinking logically was Colonel Dax.

I absolutely loved the ending of this movie, with a German woman singing in a pub. You have to see it to know what I mean but it really brings out the fact that there is value in every life, a human aspect that can so often be forgotten in war, and was definitely forgotten by General Mireau.

Paths of Glory was well written and beautifully directed. Because of the critical assessment and the shame this film brought on the French military, it was banned in France and Switzerland for almost 20 years (until the mid 70's). This film is a work of art and Kirk Douglas delivers a superb performance as Colonel Dax. Definitely one of the top 5 war films of all time and one of Kubrick's best.