Review of Paths of Glory (1957) by Luke E — 25 Nov 2013

This film is one of Stanley Kubrick's overlooked films, others include the films that came out before it, but just because the film is overlooked doesn't necessarily mean it's good. Paths of Glory is the best of his overlooked films. Before watching this, I heard so many great things about it but I always try to be objective when I come into a movie to avoid unrealistic expectations and prevent myself to be too excited or disappointed.

Paths of Glory is based on the book of the same name written by Humphrey Cobb. The screenplay was written by Kubrick, Jim Thompson and Calder Willingham. Thompson and Kubrick have previously worked together on The Killing and I thought they did a decent job on that one. Paths of Glory is definitely an excellent tale of loyalty, mercy, sacrifice and the politics of war. There are many war films that fail to captivate me but this one has such a great story and such an empathetic and likable protagonist that the film had me engaged the whole way through. The film's dialogue, in my opinion, is much better written here in comparison to Kubrick's previous film as it felt more realistic and doesn't try to stand out. I understand that both films are totally different in genre and style but I am just judging it with what works for me personally. People who expect the film to show more chilling and intense action sequence may be disappointed as there is only one area of the film that contains this, but I didn't mind it because it's great plot made up for it. There are definitely some stand out scenes in this film including the ending, the courtroom and the charge on Ant Hill.

Kubrick comes back to the modern war genre, his previous being Fear and Desire. He definitely showed his capabilities as a director in this film by creating a war film that is intimate and personal. Kubrick understands the importance of substance over style and that making this film more character driven, it haves the audience care about the tragic and sadness of it much more. This film definitely competes with the other Kubrick greats but it lacks the brilliance and originality that his subsequent efforts would deliver. Kubrick is not a stranger to controversy, though his most controversial films were released much later, and this film definitely created quite a buzz in certain countries which I think just supports the film's greatness.

The film's photography was handled by the German cinematographer, Georg Krause. This is the only film so far I have seen from Krause's long list of films he has worked in. The film's photography may not stand out or stylistically as much as Kubrick's previous film but there are moments in here that are very memorable and excellently shot, an example would be the long shot of the camera moving down the trench seeing the soldiers just standing on the edges of the scene. The black and white photography by Krause will not have anybody turn heads and be in awe but instead it just brings the viewer into the story and have the image be appropriate in enhancing the film's themes and plot. Paths of Glory is the earliest film of Kubrick that I have taken notice of his style that allows a shot to be patient and have the characters do a long take of a scene, this makes the film feel a lot more natural and relying less on cuts in order to drive the film.

Gerald Fried comes back to do the score for this film and it certainly is different from his previous film with Kubrick. Fried's score doesn't feel as cheesy or as over the top here in comparison to The Killing. The score feels very patriotic and strong. The use of drums to create that sense of tension really makes certain moments feel right. I can definitely say that his work here is much more appropriate and an improvement over his previous work.

The acting aspect of the film is driven by Kirk Douglas. I have always admired his acting and he always seems to play characters that are very likable and can empathise with. Douglas shows a lot of vulnerability and compassion for his character, and this feeling is even more heightened with the supporting cast that primarily interacts with him are cold, heartless and egotistic. The stand out in the supporting cast is George Macready as he played an egotistic and cynical antagonist that polarises with Douglas moral values. It's always nice to see the usual actors that come back in Kubrick's films, as they are always playing very different characters and they always stand out.

Paths of Glory is one of Kubrick's well made films and it definitely competes with the other highly acclaimed war films. It has a strong performance by Douglas, excellent direction and writing from Kubrick, and a fascinating story of the politics of war.