The Chain of Command

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2012)

This movie hits you like a ton of bricks. Like almost the whole work of Stanley Kubrick it tells a story about the failure of civilization. I do not see it as an anti-war movie or a historically accurate depiction of World Ware One but much more as a comment about large organizations. Principally, it deals with stalemate. The bosses have run out of ideas. They don't know what to do. But because their remaining in power depends on something - well, anything - being done, they risk the lives of thousands for enterprises that are highly unlikely to succeed. All the characters seem to be victims of a command: to make the impossible possible. The risks are unevenly distributed - as befits a vertically organized institution. The Paths of Glory is a story that is being told over and over, you can pick the settings yourself, it needn't be the trenches in Northern France, it could well be Wall Street or, for that matter, the European Union.
From an artistic point of view, I find Paths of Glory very satisfying, starting with the camera gliding flawlessly along the trenches down to the excellent set design by Ken Adam. The ending is the work of true genius. They way the jeering soldiers turn soft and melancholy is entirely convincing and unforgettable.