Paths of Glory
 | Directed by Stanley Kubrick Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris MGM (Video & DVD), 1957, DVD Customer Rating: 132 reviews Recommend |
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Safe in their picturesque chateau behind the front lines, the French general staff passes down a direct order to Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas): take the Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure. Covering up their fatal blunder, the generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, charging them with cowardice and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men's defense but soon realizes that, unless he can prove that the generals were to blame,nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad. A compelling masterpiece from world-class director/writer Stanley Kubrick and screenwriters Calder Willingham and JimThompson, Paths of Glory is a blistering indictment of military politics and "an unforgettable movie experience" (Newsweek).
Stanley Kubrick had already made his talent known with the outstanding racetrack heist thriller The Killing, but it was the 1957 antiwar masterpiece Paths of Glory that catapulted Kubrick to international acclaim. Based on the novel by Humphrey Cobb, the film was initiated by Kirk Douglas, who chose the young Kubrick to direct what would become one of the most powerful films about the wasteful insanity of warfare. In one of his finest roles, Douglas plays Colonel Dax, commander of a battle-worn regiment of the French army along the western front during World War I. Held in their trenches under the threat of German artillery, the regiment is ordered on a suicidal mission to capture an enemy stronghold. When the mission inevitably fails, French generals order the selection of three soldiers to be tried and executed on the charge of cowardice. Dax is appointed as defense attorney for the chosen scapegoats, and what follows is a travesty of justice that has remained relevant and powerful for decades. In the wake of some of the most authentic and devastating battle sequences ever filmed, Kubrick brilliantly explores the political machinations and selfish personal ambitions that result in battlefield slaughter and senseless executions. The film is unflinching in its condemnation of war and the self-indulgence of military leaders who orchestrate the deaths of thousands from the comfort of their luxurious headquarters. For many years, Paths of Glory was banned in France as a slanderous attack on French honor, but it's clear that Kubrick's intense drama is aimed at all nations and all men. Though it touches on themes of courage and loyalty in the context of warfare, the film is specifically about the historical realities of World War I, but its impact and artistic achievement remain timeless and universal. — Jeff Shannon
Title: Paths of Glory
Sales Rank: 7922 in DVD
Actor: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD), 1999-06-29, Theatrical Release: 1957
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 1.33:1
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Audience Rating: Unrated
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 87 minutes
Item Dimensions: 0.25 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches, 0.15 pounds
- Intense and moving
- Very enjoyable movie. I had not seen this for over 40 years, so it felt like it was the first time. I always loved Kirk Douglas and he was great in this movie. It was a very moving and quite shocking story. I am sure that many times during wars, horrific decisions are made by pompous fools like these.… More reviews
- When the leadership at the top is rotten!!!
- As a retired army officer and an adjunct history professor I thought it was important to review what I consider the best war movies depicting the challenges of leadership and the command of men.
Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" depicts the futility and irony of the war in the trenches in WWI. French battalion commander Col. Dax (Kirk Douglas) must deal with… More reviews
- 1957 Kubrick film, Paths of Glory, DVD.
- Kirk Douglas gives a strong performance in this anti-war film, which depicts the hypocrisy that exists in the military. A story about a regiment of French troops, that when ordered to take the "ANT HILL", are less than successful, so a few of the troops go on trial for cowardice. More reviews
- This film starts the main Kubrick theme - humans aren't smart
- When I think of this film, I find it incredibly powerful because of the indignation of Kirk Douglas's character in regard to his superiors. I don't think of it as a war film at all - for me, Kubrick's films aren't about their settings so much, they are all about the way we see humans interact, trying to interact and/or failing to interact.
That theme is repeated in most of his… More reviews
- Engrossing plot
- This story is one that should provoke much thought about war in general, and what military leaders likely confront more often than not. Acting is absolutely first-rate, and Kirk Douglas delivers a strong performance including one moment that is vintage Douglas in a rage. A great film..… More reviews
