A remarkable anti-war film that retains its impact decades after its release.

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2010)

The film is beautifully performed, staged, photographed, cut and scored. In 1916 in the French trenches, three soldiers are court-martialled for cowardice by officers who want to use their case to instil discipline into the ranks.
Paths Of Glory is an incisive melodrama chiefly depicting the corruption and incompetence of the high command; the plight of the soldiers is less interesting. The trench scenes are unforgettably vivid, and the rest is shot in genuine castles, with resultant difficulties of lighting and recording; the overall result is an overpowering piece of cinema.