Paths of Glory (1957)

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Timothy Carey, Joe Turkel, Susanne Christian.

Director: Stanley Kubrick.

"Paths of Glory" is an extraordinary film.  I can honestly say, with little hyperbole, that I can't remember when I was an engrossed with and moved by a film the way I was the other day when watching "Paths of Glory" for the first time. It's the best kind of simple morality tale: the film knows exactly what the audience will relate to, and focuses on playing to those relations in a way that leaves no room for further discussion.  We know that a grave injustice is being carried out, and watch sorrowfully as the frustrated characters struggle in vain to correct said injustice, pained by the obvious corruptions we are seeing.  It's as emotional as a film can get without sinking into sentimentality. 

The story: in the early days of World War I, The French are in the middle of a losing war with Germany.  A blindly ambitious and duplicitous General is given an opportunity: take a nearly impregnable German outpost called The Ant-Hill, and received a promotion.  Talking all the while about his love for his men and his insistence at being a "real solider," the General relays his orders to harried Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas, giving an extraordinary performance).  Dax knows the mission will fail, but follows his orders.  The mission is a disaster: pinned down by enemy artillery, half the men are killed or forced to retreat, while others never leave the trenches at all.  Incensed, the General orders the execution of several of the men for cowardice ("to boost morale").  Horrified, Dax manages to talk the brass into reducing the number to three men, and takes along the job of defending them in their court-marshall, only to find that the absurd class-system that is the officer/soldier divide only creates yet another Ant-Hill that is insurmountable. 

The film is essentially divided into two parts, incredibly specific in creating a stark contrast between those parts.  The first half is a war film: The General walks clean and well-dressed through the miserable trenches, talking to exhausted and injured soldiers doing their best to keep it together.  The second half is a court room drama: dirty, accused soldiers walk grimly through beautiful, spacious rooms of palatial mansions.  It's fairly simple in this respect, but undeniably effective.

Of course, as alluded to above, there is very little room for subtlety in "Paths of Glory."  It's a very direct film in most regards: the class divide is all but specifically mentioned in dialogue, the sets meant to evoke irony, and it's generally outrageous in its depictions of absurd self-indulgence and self-delusion. Even when everything is said and done and some small measure of comeuppance is delivered to the antagonistic General, nothing is really learned at all ("Of course, lay everything on the head of the only fully innocent man here!" The General ironically laments), nothing will change and everything will go on as it always has: the Officers will be almost entirely without reproach, and no justice will ever be provided to the little guy.  

The key to whole thing is, of course, the phenomenal performance by Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax.  A man of reason and honor, he represents the audience nicely on multiple levels: not only does he walk the middle ground between Officer and Soldier, he walks the middle ground between the high ground and the low ground.  In some ways, Dax represents the moral superiority the audience has as an uninvolved spectator: as outside observers, we're able to pass judgement on any and all characters however we see fit.  Dax, too, is somewhat outside.  Dax is in no danger, he has nothing to lose in the affair: his men will die, and that will anger and sadden him, but Dax is pretty much going to be fine.  So, too, will we.  It's an interesting presentation, and probably one of the main inspirations for the court-room drama template that would become a huge part of cinema later.

Despite its sobering qualities, the film is not without its sense of hope, however.  There are some rather uplifting moments.  When Dax is first told about the desire to kill some of his men, he immediately volunteers to be executed in their place(a request that is denied, of course, but offered nonetheless).  Then there is also the character of Corporal Paris (an amazing Ralph Meeker), who meets his fate with all the stages of grief, but then with admirable dignity and bravery.  The character and performance are extraordinary, and a true inspiration.  Finally, there is a scene of absolute beauty to close out the film, an amazingly moving sequence that might actually restore some of your faith in humanity: A broken Dax witnesses his Men acting like savages when a young German woman (Susanne Christian, doing a whole lot with only a few minutes of screen time) is put on a stage before them.  Crying, the Woman begins to entertain the men with a German song.  As Dax watches, the Men become slowly more and more moved by the song, humming along with tears in their eyes.  Realizing that maybe humanity isn't just a lot of savages, Dax rejects an order to bring the men right back to the front line: "Give them a few more minutes," Dax says, before entering his office to prepare.  It's an astonishingly beautiful scene.

Final Thoughts: While it's frustrating, it's frustrating for all the right reasons.  Excellent performances all around, and a deeply engrossing visual style (here we begin to have long tracking shots down corridors, small bits of senses of humor, and other Kubrick staples).  A masterfully done film.

Final Rating: Four-and-a-half Stars.