*****
DVD Release
France, 1916. Having been stuck
in a stalemate for nearly a year, the French are eager to reclaim land,
including a vantage point known as the Ant Hill. In what can only be described
as a suicide mission, General Paul Mireau orders the 701st
battalion, led by Colonel Dax, to reclaim the Ant Hill for France. When the
mission proves unsuccessful, Mireau is desperate to set an example to his men,
through whatever means necessary.
A damning indictment of power and
corruption, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of
Glory is as enraging as it is distressing – if this fails to make you
angry, then surely nothing ever will. Heart-breaking and filled with terrible
injustice, the story is unfortunately based on real life events, which just
makes it all the more harrowing – how could anyone ever do this to another
human being? Determined to make sure his men never retreat in the face of the
enemy, Mireau decides to court-martial some of his battalion. After being
persuaded to drop the number from 100 to 12, Mireau finally agrees that three
randomly selected men will suffice. Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), a lawyer in civilian
life, volunteers himself to act as the defence. The way the commanding officers
discuss the men in their army is truly shocking and disgusting, and although it
has undoubtedly been subjected to poetic license, it is easy to imagine how the
commanders, several steps removed from the fighting, would be able to reduce
their men to mere numbers. In a particularly shocking statement, Mireau (George
Macready) tells Dax that he expects no more than 45% of the men to reach the
German trenches, 5% of which would have been killed by their own barrage!
The camera work is undeniably
excellent. When the troops brave No Man’s Land, the camera pans alongside them,
picking out Dax as he blows the whistle and urges his men onwards, whilst later
in the courtroom scenes, the camera pauses on the faces of those speaking in
extreme close-up. Indeed, the camera work on display in the courtroom section
of the film is truly remarkable, with a variety of shots, from an angle that
looks down upon the defendants, to aerial views of the room as a whole. I
confess to not having paid much attention to the score, having been so engrossed
in the tragedy that was playing out on screen. However, I was aware of the
musical elements in the final few scenes, including an incredibly moving song
at the close.
For a PG-rated film, some of the
scenes are incredibly hard to watch, but I recommend that you do, as this is
anti-war propaganda as its’ finest. Yes, the acting may be a little basic in
places, and some of the dialogue a little clunky, but the message of the film
is one that transcends all the minor quibbles. Utterly enraging and moving, it
is a film to be pondered on afterwards, swiftly followed by something upbeat
and light-hearted.
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