War, what is it good for?

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2016)

Adapted from Humphrey Cobb's novel of the same name, 'Paths of Glory' is generally regarded as Stanley Kubrick's first masterpiece. Kubrick's fascination with war is apparent if one explores his filmography. It is an issue that he tackled on multiple occasions throughout his filmmaking career. 'Paths of Glory' has to regarded as a very bold piece of work considering the uncompromising way in which the film critiques the concept of patriotism and the military as an institution which was a taboo concept during the 1950s.
As I mentioned above, the screenplay co-written by Kubrick, Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson is uncompromising in its approach. Kubrick doesn't indulge in any form of subtlety. The characters are pretty much laid out in black & white. We instantly know who the good guys and who the bad guys are. He gives the antagonists some motivation for their actions, but never allows the viewer to have any sort of sympathy for them. As a matter of fact, 'Paths of Glory' plays out in a very similar fashion to the pro-war propaganda films made during WW2 in the way that it offers the viewer a clear distinction between the good and the bad, but while those films used this technique to champion patriotism and nationalism, 'Paths of Glory' does the opposite. Not just patriotism, Kubrick's film is an indictment on the inherent corruption in the institutional system of the military. Kubrick underlines Humphrey Cobb's opinions in his film through cynicism and a touch of dark comedy. Very interestingly the Germans are never seen in the entire film. The enemy here is war and the dehumanisation of living soldiers which is an inherent aspect of it.
'Paths of Glory' is masterfully directed. One can easily see Kubrick's presence in every shot of the film. He uses the characteristic tracking shot on numerous occasions. The sideways tracking shot of the soldiers marching ahead towards the German wire acts as a beautiful juxtaposition to the tracking shot in the bourgeois-esque scene in the dance hall where the camera follows Major General Georges Broulard walking in the background with the couples dancing in the foreground. Kubrick also juxtaposes the huge, opulent and aristocratic rooms in the army headquarters where the superior officers are stationed with the dirty and claustrophobic atmosphere in the trenches where the soldiers are stationed. Another thing that I noticed in the film was Kubrick's meticulous use of blocking. The actors move in very specific ways to beautifully depict the mental state of the characters. At times the blocking almost becomes a dance between the characters in the way Kubrick shoots them. Kubrick also uses the zooms quite extensively. Another important thing to mention will be the lighting. The cinematographer Georg Krause and Kubrick use shadows and contrast between the light and the darkness in the scenes beautifully. The shadows are artistically used to convey themes and moods in some scenes.
Colonel Dax is one of the very few characters in the whole of Kubrick's filmography who can be called a true 'hero'. He is idealistic, he is a man of convictions, and he stands by his troops. Kirk Douglas brings a sense of gravitas and likable charm to the character. He is understated when he needs to be understated, but also explodes when he needs to do the same. The presence of Kirk Douglas in this cynical film actually reminds me of another film which is Billy Wilder's 'Ace in the Hole' which is also a very cynical film and has another fantastic performance from Douglas, although the characters that he plays in both the films are completely different. I will give a mention to George Macready, Adolphe Menjou and Timothy Carey too for their solid performances.
Although 'Paths of Glory' is a cynical film, however it ends in the most poetic way. The final scene is heartbreaking and will make anyone melt with the humanity on show. It reminded me of 'Rashomon' where Kurosawa gives the viewer some hope in humanity after a whole film exploring the selfishness and narcissism of human beings. Actually Kubrick didn't want to include the final scene but was forced into doing it by Kirk Douglas. I have to say that last scene infinitely benefits the film. 'Paths of Glory' is truly great.