Review of Paths of Glory (1957) by Shane S — 30 Sep 2011
It's on the same level as "All Quiet on the Western Front" in that it shows the utter inhumanity of war, but unlike "All Quiet...," this film doesn't have those annoying Yankee accents that would otherwise ruin a film. Instead, we get mostly reserved, flat American accents (because bad accents = no) - again allowing audiences to fully get into the story.
With oddly impressionistic camerawork inspired by "Citizen Kane" and "All Quiet...," strong performances from George Macready and Kirk Douglas, and one of the most iconic courtroom sequences of all time (not to mention one of the strongest I have seen), Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" shows to be his first great foray into filmmaking. Sure, it tanked at the box office - given that Americans didn't like unhappy endings in the '50s (that's why "Vertigo" failed) - but it's become something of a modern classic. It's even considered one of the big Kubrick films, along with "A Clockwork Orange," "Dr. Strangelove," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Full Metal Jacket.".
...hold on. I might have something to say about this later.
This review of Paths of Glory (1957) was written by Shane S on 30 Sep 2011.
Paths of Glory has generally received very positive reviews.
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