Review of Paths of Glory (1957) by Reece L — 27 May 2015

A scathing satire of the self-serving hubris that results from war, "Paths of Glory" offers up nearly every facet of the army for criticism, condemning army officials looking for promotions at the expense of the lives of their men with complete disregard for human life (army officials presented as hilarious caricatures with put-on affectations who indulge in lavish parties, doll out meaningless/tone-deaf advice, and take credit for the success of their troops), the underlying current of empty patriotism that permeates the entire structure of any war, the indifference that is paid to issues involving psychological trauma in favor of empty machismo, the impossibility of holding those who run the military industrial complex accountable for their actions, the simplistic inadequacy of the army's legal systems, etc.

There are several witty juxtapositions involving the brutal conditions of the trenches and the posh living quarters the generals stay in, as well as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it bit about the sanctimonious influence of religion on army structures that is dead on. Most admirable among its heady ideas is the complete contempt it has for empty constructs of "honorable" masculinity, drawing attention to the ridiculous idea of the "strong father figure" who lectures and discipline the poor, childlike underlings who supposedly don't know better, this idea the basis for most of the conservative ideology that is still spewed on broadcast news stations to this day.

Kubrick may have been an enigma of a human being, but his films make clear his penchant for progressive thinking and for holding up flawed power structures for ridicule; his anti-war sentiments are boldly on display here. As a piece of his larger filmography, "Glory" is a initial burst of creative and intellectual power that signaled his greatness, and in regarding his work as a whole, it absolutely stands among the best films he ever made.