Review of Paths of Glory (1957) by Andres V — 07 Apr 2015
Kubrick's films never shy away from looking at the weaknesses of humanity. Vanity, faults and egomania are explored with great irony. Paths of Glory is no exception (even the title is ironic!) Tragic absurdity and military logic are in equal balance throughout the story.
One half is in the trenches, the other half is in the courtroom. Both are equally disturbing. (For the epic assault, they even filmed on the terrain amidst real WWI trenches). Kubrick made such a powerful indictment of military arrogance that the French government managed to have it banned for two decades in both France and Switzerland.
It's simply one of the finest anti-war films ever made. When asked what he was most proud of, the fact that it catapulted his career, or that he made money out of it or that it received the best reviews of his career, he responded, "The greatest virtue of the film is that I met my wife.
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This review of Paths of Glory (1957) was written by Andres V on 07 Apr 2015.
Paths of Glory has generally received very positive reviews.
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