Kubrick's "anti"-war film is to-the-point, powerful

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2009)

War is a horrible thing. That's the general message of Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory," but it's not meant in the sense of people killing other people is bad, it's because war makes us dehumanize ourselves, make poor decisions and devalue human life. This is a war story told on one side. The antagonist in this film is not the other side, it's the people in power and our inability to see clearly because our judgment is clouded by ideas we claim to be greater than ourselves. The film might not seem like a fair portrayal of the military, but it is a masterpiece of showing how war can turn us into terrible people if we're not careful.
Set on the French side against the Germans in World War I, the film is about a French offensive that ends in death and retreat. When the general charges the survivors with cowardice punishable by death, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) must defend the lives of three of his men from the military powers that want to make an example of their execution. It is a story told with blunt dialog about the use and abuse of power, but it is structured and executed in a way that creates audience sensitivity and emotion first to justify the dialog's use.
It also helps the dialog to have much of it delivered by Kirk Douglas. Col. Dax is not a flawless character, but he's about as good as they come: smart, honest, passionate and selfless. Douglas plays the role with equal conviction -- it's hard not to cheer for his character and it's incredibly satisfying whenever he outsmarts the corrupt characters. Though he's far from French (a little authenticity in the film in general, like French extras at the least would've been nice)
Though Kubrick's talents will flourish in his later films, "Paths of Glory" is filmed beautifully. It is not a very visual war film, there is a lot of dialogue, but Kubrick somehow conveys his meaning so clearly to the audience. He mixes in shots of various lengths, carefully picking his close-ups of characters to indicate the pivotal moments and sometimes capturing the whole setting from far away for dramatic impact. He also uses a lot of long takes, a couple of times following one character who is the focus of the previous scene until the character focused on in the next scene walks by, then he changes directions. The techniques are simple, but they catch your attention when meaningful. Douglas and others like George Macready as the corrupt General Mireau also help maintain that dramatic interest.
Once fantastic choice Kubrick makes is keeping the Germans out of it. You never see them, only their artillery exploding in the war zone. It's critical to understanding that the real war here is not against the Germans, its within the French ranks. It's a war Kubrick wages against unfairness and injustice. He also portrays a wide range of character reactions to war. Of the three prisoners, each provides the viewer a unique insight to war and imminent death. The film really begins to make you rethink what courage is. Is it courageous just to accept death, even under unfair circumstances? Each prisoner's battle becomes a microcosm for the initial conflict of the soldiers retreating or in some cases not even leaving the trenches.
"Paths of Glory" is an incredible statement film about war's dark side, about how we're taught to fight for certain things like glory and patriotism and to obey all orders. This film downright questions it from the beginning and supports itself throughout its duration. It then goes on to address deeper questions of courage, faith and ultimately the timeless question of whether or not humans are inherently good or evil. At 87 minutes long, "Paths of Glory" still manages to tell a vital story with passion and grace.