Kubrick's Masterpiece on the utter folly and horror of war

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2019)

Very few Films have ever quite captured the true misery and horrors of the First World War. Having studied Military History, I had always imagined the I would never see a film that would portray the awful conditions, the sheer waste of mens lives and the terror of a n attack by Infantry against machine guns and artillery. Then, I saw Kubrick's 'Paths of Glory' and sat stunned through a film that avoids the usual Hollywood 'heroics' and shows us the 'human' side of this conflict - from the French High Command, most of whose Officers are drawn from the wealthy classes - and who hardly care about the scale of the casualties, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) an Officer who deeply cares about his men and who doesn't wish to expose them to unnecessary danger, to the ordinary soldiers - just carrying out their duty - and trying to come out alive. Shot in Black and White, which really gives and authentic look to the trenches, Kubrick's tracking shots as the Officers walk down the trenches hoping to 'spread morale', show you the soldiers 'eye-view' - with incessant shell-fire throughout. What makes 'Paths Of Glory' such a powerful film is the sheer idiocy - and almost childish - reactions of the most senior French Officers. The Court Martial scene shows this more than anywhere else - the 'verdict' has already been decided and, as such, the Court is a farce, simply there to verify the wishes of the Commanding Officer.
The main attack against the 'Ant Hill' is one of the most brilliant, and accurate, depictions of such an assault in the First World War. All through the film the 'enemy' are never seen - not a single German Soldier is ever shown. The Irony being that the final scene, where the French troops are drinking and singing before returning to the front, shows a frightened German girl, who is forced to sing for the Troops. As she slowly, and faltering, sings a sad, melancholy, song from home, the troops stop their initial hostility and begin to hum along - painfully aware that soon, they too will return to the hell of the trenches.
Kubrick's film is one of the very best Films about any war and is amongst my favourite films of all time. Highly recommended