The authentic WW1 Picture

Rating: 10/10 (14 February 2008)

I don't know what happened to all those film experts at the Baftas and the Oscars in 1957, but it must have been pretty severe as neither of them seemed to recognise the brilliance of either this film or that of Sweet Smell of Success, both of which can hold their own against the epic Bridge on the River Kwai and courtroom dramas 12 Angry Men and Witness for the Prosecution, also from that year, and all of which I have seen.
Paths of Glory may not be a happy tale, but it is a realistic one. Kirk Douglas is excellent as the colonel who, despite holding military rank, is almost helpless in preventing the atrocious court marshalling of innocent soldiers. George Macready is also good as a sadistic general gone mad with power.
For me though, it was Adolphe Menjou who stood out as a two faced general, cheerful in public, but even worse than Macready in private. Invested with the power to stop the execution and bring down Macready's character, he holds back and does nothing. Later, he plans Macready's downfall while genuinely puzzled as to why Douglas is disgusted with him.
There was no happy ending to Paths of Glory; instead, Kubrick(for it is he) gave us a savage dose of reality. The direction of the film was superb, especially the scene when the regiment goes over the top: the depiction of trench warfare was one of the best I've ever seen.
If I had the power to choose the academy award winners in 1957, I would have given the best director award to Stanley Kubrick, but I would probably have given best picture to Sweet Smell of Success.