Paths Of Glory (DVD)

With a film career spanning nearly fifty years, director Stanley Kubrick is often considered one of the great figures of modern cinema. He is also the perhaps the most consistent; his lean catalogue of thirteen features (his first, 'Fear and Desire' was near enough wiped off the face of the planet at the director's request) is choc-a-block with classics from the dystopian 'A Clockwork Orange' to the cerebral '2001: A Space Odyssey' to the ultra black ...
...mention, each one unique and brilliant in its own right. Even films that tore the critics like his final work 'Eyes Wide Shut' bode the same flair and overarching themes that make it quintessential Kubrick. 'Paths of Glory' from 1957, although not lesser known per se (on the contrary it is a film that is greatly admired), is definitely one of his more overlooked works, much like his other films of that early period in his career. A shame really as ... more

With a film career spanning nearly fifty years, director Stanley Kubrick is often considered one of the great figures of modern cinema. He is also the perhaps the most consistent; his lean catalogue of thirteen features (his first, 'Fear and Desire' was near enough wiped off the face of the planet at the director's request) is choc-a-block with classics from the dystopian 'A Clockwork Orange' to the cerebral '2001: A Space Odyssey' to the ultra black comedy of 'Dr. Strangelove'. There are others equally worthy of mention, each one unique and brilliant in its own right. Even films that tore the critics like his final work 'Eyes Wide Shut' bode the same flair and overarching themes that make it quintessential Kubrick. 'Paths of Glory' from 1957, although not lesser known per se (on the contrary it is a film that is greatly admired), is definitely one of his more overlooked works, much like his other films of that early period in his career. A shame really as it's easily Kubrick's best whilst working in the tight controlling system of Hollywood.

His fourth feature, 'Paths of Glory' serves as a pivotal anti-war message, perhaps the most profound and hard hitting of the genre. It also acts as an early milestone in the development of Kubrick's greatly admired creative style. Many of the Kubrick cornerstones start to take shape here - fluid tracking shots, exquisite lighting techniques and beautiful composures not to mention a scathingly dark script. But added new to the mix is glimpse of humanity and compassion, something that's most rare in Kubrick's clinical cannon of storytelling devices - a vital exception that proves the rule.

Set in 1916's France, a country ravaged by the barbarity at the height of the First World War, the fight has moved into the trenches where success is measured in yards instead of miles. Frustrated by this stalemate, the French General Staff want to capture the 'Ant Hill', a highly valued strategic position in German hands. General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) puts the burden on fellow General and friend Mireau (George Macready) with the temptation of possible promotion. Mireau's reluctance turns into blind ambition, insisting that he will take the 'Ant Hill', at any cost.

Mireau passes these orders on to his main man on the front line, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), caring not for the respected protests of the mission being impossible. Dax grudgingly accepts, lest he become made an example of by the firing squad and organises the front for a full scale attack. Naturally the attack fails miserably, despite Dax's best efforts with many of the troops slaughtered in no man's land and others unable to even leave the trenches because of the intensity of enemy fire. Wanting to cover up this miscalculated blunder on their part, the General Staff accuse the men of showing cowardice in the face of the enemy. A man is randomly selected from each first wave battalion, three in total and they are court marshalled and put on trial. With the penalty of death on their horizon, Dax - a criminal lawyer before the war - rises to their defence beginning an all new fight for the lives of these three innocent soldiers.

'Paths of Glory' makes for a fascinating addition to Kubrick's repertoire. Part war epic, part courtroom drama, the film offers a bold and uncompromising critique of the savagery of war and, perhaps more startling so, the savagery of the military hierarchy and the unfair brutality of a corrupt judicial system. The film never misses a beat and serves as not only one of Kubrick's best offerings but also as one of the greatest war movies ever committed to celluloid.

Everything about this film works surprisingly well. A cocktail of eye catching performances, haunting cinematography and brilliant and inspired use of percussive music, perfectly mirroring the sound of falling artillery shells. Performances are universally good, from Macready's stubborn General to Douglas's barnstorming turn as Dax to the three condemned men themselves helplessly waiting for their fate to slowly rumble towards them. Kirk Douglas really holds things together nicely here, serving as the link between the upper management basking in the protective bubble of a picturesque chateau and the grunts facing the real horrors of war. This is Douglas's finest hour, protesting the skewed, hypocritical authority of those who send men to their deaths but refuse to take on any responsibility for their actions. However, Douglas avoids the all too easy route of sentimental, melodramatic grandstanding when defending the rights of the accused and turns in an underplayed yet highly refined performance; a world weary character who, although not happy about it, has accepted his place between the ignorance of his superiors and the helplessness of his subordinates and tries to make the best of it. The proverbial rock and a hard place.

Macready's General Mireau is also well conceived, a product of brutal military practice who would rather play the system to his advantage rather than use his position of power to change it for the better. He is a cold, brutal handed character. "If those little sweethearts won't face German bullets, they'll face French ones!" he shouts when orders aren't carried out to his exact specifications, his personal judgement as a human being overwhelmed by his patriotism and ambition as an officer. But it is Adolphe Menjou's General Broulard who proves to be the most inhumane and barbaric despite his more likable persona. "There are few things more fundamentally encouraging and stimulating than seeing someone else die" he quips while taking a brief reprieve from hosting a glitzy, elitist party, showing a complete disregard for the consequences of his decisions.

Kubrick pulls no punches, criticising those in authority who should know better. Treating the lives of 'lesser' individuals as expendable so long as it betters their already self important existence. In a broader context, this can be interpreted as a class struggle; those on top staying on top by exploiting those lower down in the pecking order. Justice favours the rich or in this case the General Staff, chillingly reflected in the court marshal scene where no record of the trial exists, Dax's cases for defence disregarded and the context of testimonies from the accused twisted in the favour of the prosecution. The judge criticising one defendant for not shouting his comrades on to victory during the battle refusing to take into account the fact that most of his unit were either dead or wounded at this point in time.

This leads me on to the war aspect of the film and the battle for the 'Ant Hill'. Put simply, it's a belter. Kubrick's graceful camera pans endlessly across the apocalypse of no man's land accompanied by the sounds of bombs and bullets. Keeping things purely diagetic proves that you don't have to go down the shaky camera route to put your audience in the heart of the action. Perhaps more brilliant is the build up to the assault; Dax marches with dignity down through the trenches as rows of soldiers cower at the endless barrage of artillery overhead makes for a spine tingling image. The build up is impeccable end noted with a muffled countdown and whistle blowing amongst the flying dirt. Kubrick turns the process of waiting for the inevitable into an art form whether it be the soldiers waiting to go the top or the condemned men waiting apathetic precision of the firing squad. All the more impressive considering this film elapses over a whirlwind eighty odd minutes, a revelation for those only familiar with Kubrick's latter, more indulgent work.

The film's taut running time ensures that a beat is never missed. Eva Kroll's editing is pin sharp, moving at a breathtaking pace and yet somehow, the film doesn't feel rushed. In fact, Kubrick even finds the time to include a subplot about a night time skirmish gone awry resulting in a soldier's death at the hands of his officer and the ensuing cover up. Coincidently, the only witness to this event is also one of the accused, adding extra depth and more shades of grey to the narrative. Equally nuanced is the camerawork. 'Paths of Glory' is the first Kubrick picture to use tracking shots as a frequent visual motif; Mireau's doing the rounds amongst the trenches and making the same banal small talk with his underlings helps give the war torn world the film is set in some much needed scope. Kubrick's camera waltzes and flies with great proficiency, juxtaposing the comfort and decadence of the officer's chateau command post with the nitty gritty of trench warfare with beautiful ease.

All the more stark and striking is the black and white photography giving the film a raw and even darker tone. If the film was in colour, I don't think it would have as much of an impact as it does at present. Sure it would look pretty but it would lose its more harrowing qualities. The film also boasts impressive use of hard lighting, rendering the trench environment as a claustrophobic and paranoid nightmarish landscape. Shadows pervert the image, adding to the undercurrent of ongoing pessimism. Just as dark is the humour. Like most of Kubrick's work, an apparent veil of black comedy is present from two soldiers musing over what method of death is to be more feared: the bullet or the bayonet, ranging to the absurdity of the whole situation in general. A knowing smile will appear every now and then especially when the local priest offers the hollow comfort of religion to the three men as they await their execution.

Having said that, the film is not without compassion, as evidenced most famously in the film's final scene where a mess hall full of French soldiers heckle a scared German girl (who later became Kubrick's third wife) as she tries sings to them. Her words melt their aggression, reducing them to broken down lonely men with fear and tears in their eyes. Meanwhile, Dax has to move on, quietly disillusioned over the barbarity and right wing tactics of the military that he so humbly serves.

If I had to nitpick and believe me I don't want to, it is a bit odd having American actors playing French soldiers. However, Kubrick is wise enough not to employ silly French accents with only Macready's Mireau possessing the faintest whiff of what could be considered an accent, but it is wholly acceptable. Not performing the usual Hollywood artistic licence manoeuvre of making it about America soldiers is also inspired and a bold decision. In an American film, especially in the paranoid 1950s, the armed forces would have been painted in the brightest, most positive light imaginable. Sticking true to Humphrey Cobb's novel makes it easier to paint a picture that's a lot more grey. A picture where both sides of the war are just as bad as each other. Naturally, 'Paths of Glory' was not a box office success, proving that the success of a film shouldn't be wholly attributed to how much money it makes.

'Paths of Glory' is a timeless classic and a master class of exceptional filmmaking. It is a taut, gripping, engaging and entertaining work full of criticism and dark humour. An interesting and hard hitting anti-war message that's never contrived or laboured like a lot of its more contemporary peers, purely because it doesn't need to. It is so unified in its vision and masterfully executed, how it exactly gets its message across is a moot point, it just happens. Its one of the few films where every shot is required, every cut valuable and every line of dialogue crisp and to the point. It's a film that gets down to business straight away and process to Kubrick any naysayers that not only could the man produce an emotionally charged and compassionate work (you really feel for Dax being caught in the cogs of a system that is unfair and unforgiving) but he could also wrap it all up in under ninety minutes. If you haven't seen this yet, I strongly, strongly urge you to do so. Look past the film's age and the fact that its black and white and you'll be in for an unforgettable experience. Very highly recommended.

Film Specs
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1957
Language: English
Time Approx: 84 minutes
Certificate: PG

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