Paths of Glory is Stanley Kubrick's first of three anti-war movies (followed by Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and Full Metal Jacket). Though it is not publicly regarded as highly as Dr. Strangelove by film critics and historians, one might imagine Paths of Glory to be their favorite privately.
It is easy to see how Paths of Glory achieves critical success. First of all, Kirk Douglas gave the performance of a lifetime. As Col. Dax, Douglas is always both on the verge of insubordination and yet somehow obedient to orders.
The long tracking shots by Kubrick are also positively unforgettable, whether it is Col. Dax's inspection walk through the trench (a personal favorite), when the army attempts to take the "ant hill," or the three young men are on their way to execution. The sheer duration of these shots creates some of the most lingering images in movie history.
But why is the film more of a private favorite? Simply because the last scene is not only vehemently anti-war, but touching as well. A young German girl is brought before French soldiers who make a lot of noise and frighten her. She is told to sing for the troops. Scared, she cries singing "The Faithful Hussar." The French soldiers are quieted and eventually sing the German song with the girl. The tenderness of the scene renders patriotism beneath being human.
IMDb rates this film 8.6 out of 10
Film 101 rates this film 5 out of 5 stars (not red stars)
Roger Ebert includes this film in his Great Movies
Kubrick and Douglas also collaborated on Spartacus
