the insanity of war

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2005)

When people think of Stanley Kubrick making an anti-war film, they most likely think of "Dr. Strangelove", but "Paths of Glory" is equally as great, not to mention based on a true event. It happened in France during WWI. A platoon of soldiers was sent on a suicidal mission. The battle was essentially an excuse for both nations to try and gain prestige. Some French soldiers refused to go into battle. They were put on trial for "cowardice in the face of the enemy". In defending them, Col. Dax (Kirk Douglas) sought to show how they were doing a sane thing by refusing to go into battle, and that the generals cared more about getting promoted than about the men under their command.
One theme that you find in this movie that Kubrick often uses is chess. Chess is an analysis of medieval Europe, with the pawns being expendable. In this case, the soldiers are senselessly thrown into battle, while the generals sit comfortably in the palace. Similarly, in "Dr. Strangelove", the men in the airplane were experiencing all sorts of Hell, while the president, generals and ambassador sat comfortably in the war room.
It's amazing how much this all looks like so many other things. And I don't just mean Iraq. When Gen. Billy Mitchell condemned his superiors for disregarding the safety of the men under their command, they put HIM on trial! Apparently, "military justice" is a total oxymoron. Anyway, this is a movie that everyone should see, just so that we can all know what war is really all about.